Matt's Miscellany

My Top Ten Favorite Films of 2011

2012-01-25T13:05:00.004-06:00

You've waited, I've viewed, and now it's time for my top ten favorite film list. Like every year, it takes the early part of the new year in order for me to watch all of the films from the previous year that I wanted to see. As always, the rule for each year's "top" lists is that each item of media must have had an original American release date in 2011 (film festivals do not count).

Something to keep in mind with this "Top Ten" list is that the items appearing in it are my favorites and not necessarily the "best of..." from the standpoint of artistic merit. Although I consider everything I pick in this list to be of high artistic quality, all are ranked in terms of personal enjoyment. And now for the traditional excursus.

EXCURSUS ON THE VIEWING OF R-RATED MOVIES:

If one were to do a little research on the films within this list as well as the films in the list of all the films I viewed this year, he or she would discover that several have been given the rating "R - Restricted" by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This, then, could quite naturally lead to the questioning of whether it is appropriate for a believer to view R-rated movies. As the reader is no doubt aware, some believers choose (based upon personal convictions) to avoid viewing any R-rated movies whatsoever.

The difference between such believers and myself is quite simple: they are willing to let the arbitrary and often politically motivated decisions of a group of (presumably) unbelievers determine whether or not they will see certain movies, while I will not allow such decisions to determine what films I see. Some, I'm sure, will disagree with my characterization of the MPAA and attempt to laud it as "not perfect, but the best measure we have." Unfortunately, those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are arbitrary obviously have not seen enough films, and those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are often politically motivated are woefully mired in a painful naiveté concerning the way Hollywood operates. The reality is not only that some PG-13 movies should be R (The Dark Knight, for a prominent example) and some R movies should be PG-13 (this year's Of Gods and Men), but also that money and corporate "back-scratching" go a very long way in determining a movie's rating.

Because of these circumstances, I simply do not allow the MPAA to determine whether or not I see a film; I let God determine that. There is certainly much to be praised about researching a film's content before viewing it. I always do so in order to educate myself fully about the film and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct me in whether or not it is appropriate or beneficial viewing.

My point in saying all of this is that if you use the MPAA to determine whether or not you see a film, such a practice is certainly your prerogative, as is my practice of relying on case-by-case evaluation. But, please do not assume that my viewing of certain R-rated films is an accurate measure to determine my level of spiritual maturity; likewise, please do not assume that my viewing of any R-rated film necessarily constitutes my endorsement of the film for viewing by every Christian. And with that, it is now time for one of my famous disclaimers...

DISCLAIMER (to those to whom I must always disclaim things): Please keep the following in mind. The posting of this list of "Top Ten Favorite Films of 2011" in no way expressly indicates or otherwise implies that the author of this blog endorses in any way the actual films themselves or the characters, the dialogue, the actions, the theological implications, and/or the profanities/obscenities that are portrayed therein. Because both art and film as an art form are highly interpretive and subjective in nature, the author of this blog is hereby absolved of any responsibility whatsoever as to how these films or their contents are interpreted by the viewer/reader. Any conclusion (about the films themselves or the author's decision to declare them as his favorites of the year) reached by the viewer/reader that does not adequately take into consideration what is expressly stated in this disclaimer is thereby rendered entirely without merit and erroneous.

Finally, on to the show.

Matt's Top Ten Favorite Films of 2011

10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -- Rated "R" (and a very hard "R," I might add)

More faithful to the tone and feel of the novel than the Swedish film. Directed by Fincher. Just as dark as you would expect. Not for the faint of heart. Do your homework before deciding whether to watch. Caveat spectator. I'll leave it at that.

9. Melancholia -- Rated "R"

Melancholia and The Tree of Life have the distinct honors of being the hardest films of 2011 to watch, "hardest," of course, meaning that they are quite taxing and require the most from the viewer due to how unconventional they are. While I am not at all a fan of Lars von Trier's other films, Melancholia is an exquisite, beautifully shot work of art, a take on "the end of the world" unlike any other. Parts of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde are beautifully interwoven into the score, and as it sets the tone for the entire film, the music conveys an eerily odd mixture of majesty and tragedy. This is easily the best performance of Kirsten Dunst's career, and she truly shines as Justine, a young bride whose own "melancholia" parallels the impending doom brought by the planet of the same name.

8. Moneyball -- Rated "PG-13"

I have to admit that I had never heard of Moneyball until about one month prior to its release. While I'm not particularly an aficionado of sports films, I do appreciate the occasionally well done sports film that also tells a unique story, and Moneyball more than meets both criteria. Brad Pitt gives the best performance of his career as Billy Beane, a general manager for the Oakland Athletics, who forever changed the way baseball recruiting is done in the major leagues.

7. Of Gods and Men -- Rated "R" (you can curse the caprice of the MPAA for this one--a minor "R" indeed)

(Technically, Of Gods and Men was originally released in France in 2010, but it did not see a normal American release in theaters until early 2011, hence its inclusion in this year's list.)

Telling the true story of the French monks who lived at the monastery in Tibhirine, Algeria in 1996, Of Gods and Men is a powerful story of true faith in the face of dire circumstances. As one can surmise from the trailer, the central issue in the film is whether the monks should leave the monastery due to the danger they know is coming, thereby ensuring their personal safety, or if they should stay and continue serving the physical and spiritual needs of the people to whom they have been ministering for many years. Of Gods and Men is a moving film, and one that truly challenges the Christian viewer to evaluate his or her own priorities.

6. Drive -- Rated "R"

I'll just state this upfront: I like Ryan Gosling. I hate the film The Notebook , mind you, but Ryan Gosling is a good actor whose career is really beginning to flourish. And while he is the main character of Drive , it can be argued that the "character" who gives him a run for his money is the film's mood and overall look, which are so European that they practically ooze the entire continent out of the screen. Nicolas Winding Refn does an amazing job directing his first American film, as he paints a portrait of a young man whose one skill potentially becomes his and others' undoing. I just wish I could rock that scorpion jacket as well as Gosling does. :-)

5. Midnight in Paris -- Rated "PG-13"

Woody Allen returns with yet another film of auteur brilliance. The screenplay for Midnight in Paris is excellent: witty, dialogue-heavy, and full of character. Owen Wilson is the perfect choice for the character he plays, a writer whose trip to Paris for inspiration takes him on quite an unexpected journey. We're in Annie Hall and Manhattan territory with this film, and that's some good company.

4. Hugo -- Rated "PG"

Assuming that I had never heard of Hugo , just walked into the theater one day and watched it, and that after watching I was told it was directed by Scorsese, I would have laughed. Most of you who follow film with any regularity probably understand why. Out of all of Scorsese's work, this is undoubtedly the most non-Scorsese Scorsese film, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Though I've never read the children's book on which Hugo is based (so I have no point of comparison), from what I understand, Scorsese has done a faithful job with the material. As a standalone film, it is an excellent, well-acted love letter to the history of cinema, and whether you are a film buff or not, it can be appreciated by all viewers. More on love letters to cinema with my #1 pick...

3. The Tree of Life -- Rated "PG-13"

Ah, yes, Terrence Malick. Malick is one of the most gifted directors, yet he has only directed five films in his nearly forty-year career. What's more, his films are some of the most taxing out there, and The Tree of Life is certainly no exception. You might have read in the news that there were many walkouts, and while this may come across as arrogant, it is nonetheless true: most American moviegoers today do not possess what it takes to appreciate works of art like these. Your typical moviegoer has been spoon-fed by Hollywood what a "movie" is supposed to be like, and when something comes along that deviates too far from that norm, it is usually rejected. The Tree of Life defies explanation and description, yet it is one of the most profoundly moving visual feasts I have ever seen.

2. The Descendants -- Rated "R"

One part drama and one part dark comedy, The Descendants seemingly came out of nowhere and immediately jumped into many "top ten" film lists for 2011. Alexander Payne directs George Clooney in the best performance of his career (what is it with all these "career best performances" this year?) as Matt King, a Hawaiian lawyer whose life was already with issues surrounding his daughters, but spirals downward after an accident puts his wife into a coma. Well written, well acted, well directed. A trifecta of greatness this year, surpassed only by...

1. The Artist -- Rated "PG-13"

Many have commented already on how amazing it is that The Artist was even made, and they are absolutely correct. The fact that a silent movie with two French stars hardly any Americans had ever heard of could get bankrolled in the current Hollywood climate (Hollywood takes precious few risks these days) is nothing short of miraculous. We all can rejoice in the good fortune bestowed upon us as moviegoers in the form of The Artist. If Hugo was a love letter to the history of cinema, then The Artist is perhaps the ultimate love letter. How incredible it is that words are unneeded in a film this wonderful.

Honorable Mentions
War Horse -- Rated "PG-13"

Like Crazy -- Rated "PG-13"

The Muppets -- Rated "PG"

Films of 2011 I Viewed:

Gnomeo & Juliet
Of Gods and Men
The Adjustment Bureau
Jane Eyre
The Lincoln Lawyer
Source Code
Rio
Thor
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Midnight in Paris
The Tree of Life
X-Men: First Class
Super 8 (IMAX)
Cars 2
Larry Crowne
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2
Captain America: The First Avenger
Crazy, Stupid, Love
The Help
Drive
Moneyball
Courageous
The Ides of March
Like Crazy
Melancholia
The Descendants
Hugo (3D)
The Muppets
The Artist
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol (IMAX)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
We Bought a Zoo
War Horse

Films of 2011 I've Viewed

2012-01-23T13:11:00.001-06:00

Normally, I'd put one of my disclaimers up for a post like this, but I'll forgo the verbose assault, as that's all been hashed out on this blog before. BOTTOM LINE: I don't endorse anyone seeing any of these films, no matter what the rating. Whether or not you watch a certain film is between you and the Holy Spirit. Capiche? And if you want to try to infer my level of spiritual maturity by what films I've viewed, that's your waste of time, not mine.

I'll keep this updated as we approach the eventual terminus of 2011. All movies are listed in order of release date. As expected, the only qualification is that the film had an original US release date in 2011. Try to guess which ones were my choices, which were Susan's, which were both, and which were the kids'. :-)

Gnomeo & Juliet
Of Gods and Men
The Adjustment Bureau
Jane Eyre
The Lincoln Lawyer
Source Code
Rio
Thor
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Midnight in Paris
The Tree of Life
X-Men: First Class
Super 8 (IMAX)
Cars 2
Larry Crowne
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2
Captain America: The First Avenger
The Help
Drive
Moneyball
Courageous
The Ides of March
Like Crazy
Melancholia
The Descendants
Hugo (3D)
The Muppets
The Artist
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol (IMAX)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
We Bought a Zoo
War Horse

My Video Game Collection

2011-11-30T18:53:00.000-06:00

I decided to list every video game that I currently own. The results are...well, I'll just let you see for yourself.

Current as of 11/30/11
Note: Downloadable titles are subject to some inaccuracy, as it is hard to keep up consistently with what titles I have downloaded and for what platform.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
Chrono Trigger
EarthBound
Final Fantasy II (Final Fantasy IV under Japanese numbering of releases)
Final Fantasy III (Final Fantasy VI under Japanese numbering of releases)
Super Mario World

Nintendo Gameboy
Tetris

Nintendo Gameboy Color
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX

Sony Playstation (PSX)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Chrono Cross
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy Anthology
Final Fantasy Chronicles
Final Fantasy Origins
Final Fantasy Tactics
Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto: London
Grand Theft Auto 2
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Medal of Honor
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions
Parasite Eve
Tomb Raider
Vagrant Story
Xenogears

Nintendo Gameboy Advance (GBA)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls
Final Fantasy IV Advance
Final Fantasy V Advance
Final Fantasy VI Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past: Four Swords
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Super Mario Advance
Super Mario Bros. 3: Super Mario Advance 4
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

Sony Playstation 2 (PS2)
Amplitude
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy XI Online
Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia
Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan
Final Fantasy XII Collector's Edition
Frequency
God of War
God of War II
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s
ICO
Katamari Damacy
Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence Limited Edition
Okami
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Rez
Shadow of the Colossus
SSX 3
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra

Microsoft Xbox
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo 2
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Sony Playstation Portable (PSP)
Dissidia Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012[duodecim] Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Lumines
Rock Band Unplugged
Wipeout Pure

Nintendo DS
Chrono Trigger
Elite Beat Agents
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Game & Watch Collection
Game & Watch Collection 2
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded
Mario Kart DS
The World Ends with You

Nintendo DSiWare (downloadable titles for the DSi)
Alt-Play: Jason Rohrer Anthology
Flipnote Studio
Photo Dojo
WarioWare: Snapped!

Nintendo Wii
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Mario Kart Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Punch-Out!!
Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Wii Fit Plus
Wii Sports
Wii Sports Resort

Nintendo Wii Virtual Console (downloadable titles originally released on past systems)
Bonk's Adventure
Castlevania
Chrono Trigger
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Jr.
Elevator Action
Excitebike
Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy II (Final Fantasy IV under Japanese numbering of releases)
F-Zero
F-Zero X
Final Fight
Galaga
Golden Axe
Gradius
Gunstar Heroes
Ice Hockey
Kid Icarus
Kirby's Adventure
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Mario Bros.
Mario Kart 64
Mega Man
Metroid
Military Madness
Milon's Secret Castle
Ninja Gaiden
Pac-Man
Paper Mario
Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
River City Ransom
Shining Force
Sonic the Hedgehog
Star Fox 64
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Super Castlevania 4
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
Tecmo Bowl
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Wave Race 64
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Nintendo WiiWare (downloadable titles made for the Wii)
Cave Story
Dr. Mario Online Rx
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Grill-off with Ultra Hand!
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 2: Strong Badia the Free
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 3: Baddest of the Bands
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 4: Dangeresque 3
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 5: 8-Bit Is Enough
World of Goo

Microsoft Xbox 360
AC/DC Live Rock Band Track Pack
The Beatles: Rock Band
BioShock Limited Edition
BioShock 2 Special Edition
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Limited Collector's Edition
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition
Catherine
Child of Eden
Dance Central
Dance Central 2
DJ Hero: Renegade Edition
DJ Hero 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Collector's Edition
Fable II Limited Collector's Edition
Fable III Limited Collector's Edition
Fallout 3 Collector's Edition
Fallout: New Vegas Collector's Edition
Final Fantasy XI Online
Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess
Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection
Final Fantasy XIII
Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition
Halo 3 Legendary Edition
Halo 3: ODST
Halo: Reach Legendary Edition
Halo Wars Limited Edition
Kinect Adventures
L.A. Noire
Left 4 Dead 2
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Lego Rock Band
LOST: Via Domus
Mass Effect Limited Collector's Edition
Mass Effect 2 Collector's Edition
The Orange Box
Portal 2
Red Dead Redemption Special Edition
Rock Band
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 3
Rock Band Country Track Pack

Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade (downloadable titles: some original, some originally released on past systems)
Aegis Wing
Alien Hominid HD
Bastion
Bionic Commando: Rearmed
Beyond Good & Evil HD
Braid
Call of Duty Classic
Carcassonne
Castle Crashers
Catan
Contra
Dash of Destruction
DIG DUG
Doritos Crash Course
Double Dragon
Every Extend Extra Extreme
Fable II Pub Games
Fruit Ninja Kinect
Full House Poker
Gauntlet
Geometry Wars
Hardwood Spades
Harm's Way
Hexic HD
Ikaruga
Limbo
Lumines Live!
Mega Man 9
Mega Man 10
Missile Command
Pac-Man
Pac-Man C.E.
Pac-Man C.E. DX
Peggle
Pinball FX
Pinball FX 2
Portal: Still Alive
Prince of Persia
Puzzle Fighter HD
Puzzle Quest
Puzzle Quest Galactrix
Rez HD
Robotron: 2084
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game
Spyglass Board Games
Super Meat Boy
Texas Hold 'Em
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Arcade
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled
TotemBall
Undertow
UNO
Yaris

Sony Playstation 3 (PS3)
Final Fantasy XIII
God of War Collection
God of War III Ultimate Edition
God of War Origins Collection
Heavy Rain
The ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection
LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet 2 Collector's Edition
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection Limited Edition
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition
SingStar
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Collector's Edition

Sony Playstation Network (original, downloadable titles)
Calling All Cars!
echochrome
flOw
Flower
High Velocity Bowling
Noby Noby Boy
PAIN
PixelJunk Eden
PixelJunk Monsters Encore
Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic
Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves
Super Stardust HD
WipEout HD

iOS (games for iPhone, iPad, or both)
Angry Birds
Angry Birds Rio
Angry Birds Seasons
Carcassonne
Casey's Contraptions
Catan
Civilization Revolution
Doodle Jump
Doodle Jump Christmas Special
Cut the Rope
Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift
Flight Control
Hanging with Friends
Infinity Blade
Jetpack Joyride
Mass Effect Galaxy
Minecraft: Pocket Edition
Ninjatown: Trees of Doom!
The Oregon Trail
Osmos
Passage
Pinball HD
Plants vs. Zombies
Pocket God
Rock Band
Slice It!
Strange Rain
Superbrothers Sword & Sworcery EP
Tilt to Live
Tiny Wings
Uzu
Where's My Water?
Words with Friends
World of Goo

Nintendo 3DS
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Pilotwings Resort

Nintendo 3DS eShop (downloadable titles: some original, some originally released on past systems)
3D Classics: Excitebike
Donkey Kong
Super Mario Land

PC
Deus Ex
Half-Life
Half-Life: Blue Shift
Half-Life: Opposing Force
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2: Episode One
Half-Life 2: Episode Two
Minecraft
Portal
Planescape: Torment
Team Fortress
Team Fortress 2

My Top Ten Favorite Films of 2010

2011-01-05T22:45:00.013-06:00

You've (the two of you have) waited, I've viewed, and now it's time for my film list. Like every year, it takes the early part of the new year in order for me to watch all of the films from the previous year that I wanted to see. While some have their "top ten" lists completed much earlier, I'm not one to produce such a list until I've experienced all of the contenders I wish to experience. As always, the rule for each of this year's "top" lists is that each item of media must have had an original American release date in 2010.

Something to keep in mind with these "Top Ten" lists is that the items appearing in them are my favorites and not necessarily the "best of..." from the standpoint of artistic merit within their respective categories. For example (from my album list), Crystal Castles (II) does not have as much pure artistic quality as Go. But I don't care. Although I consider everything I pick in these lists to be of high artistic quality, all are ranked in terms of personal enjoyment. And now for the traditional excursus.

EXCURSUS ON THE VIEWING OF R-RATED MOVIES:

If one were to do a little research on the films within this list as well as the films in the list of all the films I viewed this year, he or she would discover that several have been given the rating "R - Restricted" by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This, then, could quite naturally lead to the questioning of whether it is appropriate for a believer to view R-rated movies. As the reader is no doubt aware, some believers choose (based upon personal convictions) to avoid viewing any R-rated movies whatsoever.

The difference between such believers and myself is quite simple: they are willing to let the arbitrary and often politically motivated decisions of a group of (presumably) unbelievers determine whether or not they will see certain movies, while I will not allow such decisions to determine what films I see. Some, I'm sure, will disagree with my characterization of the MPAA and attempt to laud it as "not perfect, but the best barometer we have." Unfortunately, those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are arbitrary obviously have not seen enough films and those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are often politically motivated are woefully mired in a painful naiveté concerning the way Hollywood operates. The reality is not only that some PG-13 movies should be R (The Dark Knight, for a prominent example) and some R movies should be PG-13, but also that money and corporate "back-scratching" go a very long way in determining a movie's rating.

Because of these circumstances, I simply do not allow the MPAA to determine whether or not I see a film; I let God determine that. There is certainly much to be praised about researching a film's content before viewing it. I always do so in order to educate myself fully about the film and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct me in whether or not it is appropriate or beneficial viewing.

My point in saying all of this is that if you use the MPAA to determine whether or not you see a film, such a practice is certainly your prerogative, as is my practice of relying on case-by-case evaluation. But, please do not assume that my viewing of certain R-rated films is an accurate measuring stick to determine my level of spiritual maturity; likewise, please do not assume that my viewing of any R-rated film necessarily constitutes my endorsement of the film for viewing by every Christian. And with that, it is now time for one of my famous disclaimers...

DISCLAIMER (to those to whom I must always disclaim things): Please keep the following in mind. The posting of this list of "Top Ten Favorite Films of 2010" in no way expressly indicates or otherwise implies that the author of this blog endorses in any way the actual films themselves or the characters, the dialogue, the actions, the theological implications, and/or the profanities/obscenities that are portrayed therein. Because both art and film as an art form are highly interpretive and subjective in nature, the author of this blog is hereby absolved of any responsibility whatsoever as to how these films or their contents are interpreted by the viewer/reader. Any conclusion (about the films themselves or the author's decision to declare them as his favorites of the year) reached by the viewer/reader that does not adequately take into consideration what is expressly stated in this disclaimer is thereby rendered entirely without merit and erroneous.

Now, on to the show.

Matt's Top Ten Favorite Films of 2010

10. 127 Hours

Based on the incredible true story of climber Aron Ralston, one might initially assume that 127 Hours would be an incredibly boring movie; after all, much of it is spent with James Franco being pinned by a boulder. However, Danny Boyle takes Ralston's story and turns the cinematic retelling of it into an interesting look into the psyche of a man who eventually must do whatever he must to survive. A film I want to watch multiple times? Probably not. A fine film nonetheless? Yes.

9. The Town

Ben Affleck is starting to come into his own as a director and it really shows with The Town. Taking an unflinching look at a young group of bank robbers from a Boston neighborhood that supposedly produces an obscene amount of bank robbers per year, The Town combines good cinematography with good acting to create a work that easily showcases the talent behind both.

8. True Grit

Coen brothers. Remake of True Grit. Need I go on? Okay, just one more thing: about a girl from Yell County, Arkansas, the county of which Danville, my hometown, is a county seat. How could I not watch this?

7. Winter's Bone

Winter's Bone was released right around the beginning of the summer, but it has stuck with me throughout the year. Telling the story of a young girl in the Ozarks who must find her missing father or lose the house in which she lives as the caretaker of her younger siblings, it presents the viewer with a gritty look at the clan-like structure of a mountain family who definitely has something to hide. The tension in the film is palpable throughout and expertly executed by director Debra Granik.

6. Toy Story 3

Ah, yes. Toy Story 3. How long was the span of time between Toy Story 2 and 3 ? Long enough for Andy to grow up and be ready to go to college, I suppose! I was glad to see Pixar come back to revisit the Toy Story characters for one last time. You've gotta hand it to them; Pixar undoubtedly knows how to create "kids" films with good plots that adults will enjoy as well. And for the record, Lotso is the best Pixar villain. Don't even begin to argue otherwise. :-)

5. Inception

I watched Inception three times this year. Or did I? While I'm convinced that there are some unresolvable logical inconsistencies in the plot (made more manifest upon each subsequent viewing), it's still easily one of the best films of 2010. I believe Christopher Nolan has to be one of the top five living directors in American cinema. Watch Inception and you'll see why.

4. Black Swan

Before I say anything more, let me first say that yes, there are some sexual scenes in this film, but they can be skipped easily (assuming you are watching on something with the capability to fast-forward) if you know where they are in advance. Undoubtedly, some of you are going to judge my inclusion of the film in my top list in spite of said scenes. That's your business. (EDIT FOR CLARIFICATION: I did not watch said scenes. I knew where they were in advance and closed my eyes during them.) Black Swan explores a young ballerina's obsession with perfection, an obsession that quite clearly is driving her insane. The entire film is great, but the final twenty minutes are where director Darren Aronofsky knocks it out of the park. Unbelievable.

3. The Ghost Writer

The Ghost Writer is a clever thriller that was, in my opinion, heavily underrated by critics this year. Regardless of what you think of Roman Polanski (I think he rightly deserves to be in jail for his admitted rape of a thirteen year-old girl many years ago), you cannot deny that this is a great film. I love suspense films that balance tension with the slow revelation of important information. The Ghost Writer does so masterfully from beginning to ingenious end.

2. The King's Speech

The King's Speech is based on the true story of England's King George VI and how he overcame his debilitating speech impediment with the help of a very unorthodox speech therapist. While that may initially seem like a boring premise for a film, Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush play their roles to perfection and what results is an eloquent film that serves to show what happens when historical dramas fully live up to their potential.

1. The Social Network

The year's best film is also my favorite. There is simply nothing lacking in The Social Network. First, you have a relevant premise that anchors the film firmly within our zeitgeist and facilitates its ability to serve as social commentary. Then you have an unbelievably well-written screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. Third, there is the masterful direction of David Fincher. Fourth, there are the outstanding performances by young actors. And lastly, there is the fact that the trailer uses a choral rendition of a Radiohead song. Er, well, technically the trailer is not the film, but whatever. The Social Network is an amazing film and one that fully deserves the Oscar for "Best Picture." "Matthew Millsap likes this." Unfortunately, given how the aged members of the Academy typically skew more towards traditional fare (read: The King's Speech ), The Social Network might not take home the award.

Films of 2010 I Viewed:

Leap Year
The Book of Eli
Dear John
Shutter Island
The Ghost Writer
Alice in Wonderland (3D)
Date Night
Iron Man 2 (IMAX)
Robin Hood
Winter's Bone
Toy Story 3 (3D)
Inception (IMAX)
The Other Guys
Eat Pray Love
The Expendables
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Machete
I'm Still Here
Catfish
The Town
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
The Social Network
Red
127 Hours
Morning Glory
Tangled (3D)
The King's Speech
Black Swan
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (3D)
The Fighter
Tron: Legacy (IMAX 3D)
True Grit

Films of 2010 I've Viewed

2011-01-04T23:34:00.000-06:00

Well, it's 2010 now, so I guess I'll have to do a 2010 version of last year's continually updated post!

Normally, I'd put one of my disclaimers up for a post like this, but I'll forgo the verbose assault, as that's all been hashed out on this blog before. BOTTOM LINE: I don't endorse anyone seeing any of these films, no matter what the rating. Whether or not you watch a certain film is between you and the Holy Spirit. Capiche? And if you want to try to infer my level of spiritual maturity by what films I've viewed, that's your waste of time, not mine.

I'll keep this updated as we approach the eventual terminus of 2010. All movies are listed in order of release date. As expected, the only qualification is that the film had an original release date in 2010. Try to guess which ones were my choices and which ones were Susan's. :-)

Leap Year
The Book of Eli
Dear John
Shutter Island
The Ghost Writer
Alice in Wonderland (3D)
Date Night
Iron Man 2 (IMAX)
Robin Hood
Winter's Bone
Toy Story 3 (3D)
Inception (IMAX)
The Other Guys
Eat Pray Love
The Expendables
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Machete
I'm Still Here
Catfish
The Town
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
The Social Network
Red
127 Hours
Morning Glory
Tangled (3D)
The King's Speech
Black Swan
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (3D)
The Fighter
Tron: Legacy (IMAX 3D)
True Grit

My Top Ten Favorite Video Games of 2010

2010-12-26T20:00:00.000-06:00

Continuing on from my album list, we now have my "Top Ten Favorite Video Games." My "Top Ten Favorite Films" list won't be ready until not long after the first of the new year, so look for it then. While I won't provide comments on this video game list, I will provide them on the film list. As always, the rule for each of my "Top Ten" lists is that each item must have had an original release date in 2010.

Something to keep in mind with these "Top Ten" lists is that the items appearing in them are my favorites and not necessarily the "best of..." from the standpoint of artistic merit within their respective categories. For example (from my album list), Crystal Castles (II) does not have as much pure artistic quality as Go. But I don't care. Although I consider everything I pick in these lists to be of high artistic quality, all are ranked in terms of personal enjoyment. And now for one of my famous disclaimers...

DISCLAIMER (to those to whom I must always disclaim things): Please keep the following in mind. The posting of this list of "Top Ten Favorite Video Games of 2010" in no way expressly indicates or otherwise implies that the author of this blog endorses in any way the actual video games themselves, their contents, the theological implications of said contents, and/or any potential profanities/obscenities contained therein. Because both art and video games as an art form are highly interpretive and subjective in nature, the author of this blog is hereby absolved of any responsibility whatsoever as to how these video games or their contents are interpreted by the player/reader. Any conclusion (about the video games themselves or the author's decision to declare them as his favorites of the year) reached by the player/reader that does not adequately take into consideration what is expressly stated in this disclaimer is thereby rendered entirely without merit and erroneous.

Matt's Top Ten Favorite Video Games of 2010

10. Kirby's Epic Yarn by Good-Feel and HAL Laboratory for the Nintendo Wii

9. BioShock 2 by 2K Marin for the Xbox 360

8. Epic Mickey by Junction Point Studios for the Nintendo Wii

7. Halo: Reach by Bungie for the Xbox 360

6. Rock Band 3 by Harmonix Music Systems for the Xbox 360

5. Final Fantasy XIII by Square-Enix for the Xbox 360

4. God of War III by Sony Santa Monica for the Playstation 3

3. Mass Effect 2 by BioWare for the Xbox 360

2. Super Mario Galaxy 2 by Nintendo for the Nintendo Wii

1. Red Dead Redemption by Rockstar San Diego for the Xbox 360

My Top Ten Favorite Albums of 2010

2010-12-23T19:47:00.004-06:00

Although it's a bit earlier than when I usually begin, it's end-of-the-year "Top Ten" list time! The two of you who follow this infrequently updated blog know this is something of a tradition, so I will do my best not to disappoint. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm addicted to "Top Ten" lists. We'll start with my "Top Ten Favorite Albums," followed by my "Top Ten Favorite Video Games," with my "Top Ten Favorite Films" coming not long after the new year has begun. While I won't provide comments on my album list or video game list, I will provide them on the film list. As always, the rule for each of my "Top Ten" lists is that each item must have had an original release date in 2010.

Something to keep in mind with these "Top Ten" lists is that the items appearing in them are my favorites and not necessarily the "best of..." from the standpoint of artistic merit within their respective categories. For example (from this list), Crystal Castles (II) does not have as much pure artistic quality as Go. But I don't care. Although I consider everything I pick in these lists to be of high artistic quality, all are ranked in terms of personal enjoyment. And now for one of my famous disclaimers...

DISCLAIMER (to those to whom I must always disclaim things): Please keep the following in mind. The posting of this list of "Top Ten Favorite Albums of 2010" in no way expressly indicates or otherwise implies that the author of this blog endorses in any way the actual albums themselves, their lyrics, the theological implications of said lyrics, and/or any potential profanities/obscenities contained therein. Because both art and music as an art form are highly interpretive and subjective in nature, the author of this blog is hereby absolved of any responsibility whatsoever as to how these albums or their contents are interpreted by the listener/reader. Any conclusion (about the albums themselves or the author's decision to declare them as his favorites of the year) reached by the listener/reader that does not adequately take into consideration what is expressly stated in this disclaimer is thereby rendered entirely without merit and erroneous.

Matt's Top Ten Favorite Albums of 2010

10. TRON: Legacy by Daft Punk

9. Broken Bells by Broken Bells

8. Plastic Beach by Gorillaz

7. Go by Jónsi

6. Crystal Castles (II) by Crystal Castles

5. This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem

4. Teen Dream by Beach House

3. High Violet by The National

2. The Suburbs by Arcade Fire

1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy* by Kanye West

*Edited Version

The Yearly Reading List

2010-09-22T12:58:00.000-05:00

Time is something of which we all wish we had more. Those of us who are avid readers undoubtedly have a stack of books we want to read but have not found the time to read. Perhaps it is not a stretch to say that anyone who claims to be an avid reader and does not have such a stack is not really an avid reader. Still, in the midst of reading books we are forced to read and new books we read for pleasure, there always remain "old friends" to whom we repeatedly return.

This is a list of such old friends. This list is comprised of both fiction and nonfiction books that I try to read on a yearly basis. Note that I said I "TRY" to read them annually. Do I ever make it through all of them in a year? No, and I probably never will. Do I always make it through some of them? Absolutely.

If you are an avid reader and don't have a list like this, I suggest you make one. Whether you already have one or have to make one, once you have it, share it with me! I'm always on the lookout for books that bibliophiles think are their favorites.

Fiction (in no particular order)
1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Obviously, these two go together, so there is no argument there. This is and (in my opinion) will remain the greatest fictional story ever told. Hands down.

2. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Watchmen is unquestionably the greatest graphic novel ever made. It's so good, in fact, that it was the only graphic novel to make TIME magazine's "100 best English-Language novels from 1923 to [2005]" list.

3. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Obviously, this has been a classic for quite some time. I went with the MacAndrew translation since it is often the standard. For those of you who are well-read in both Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, I'd be interested in your thoughts on whether The Brothers Karamazov is the best novel between the two writers and, if not, which novel is.

4. Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
A graphic novel with Dionysian vs. Apollonian undertones about an architecture professor's journey of self-discovery? Sign me up! Seriously, though, this is a true masterpiece. Bring your thinking cap, knowledge of Orpheus, and a dictionary.

5. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Not as good as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but still excellent. Can being transported to Narnia on a yearly basis ever get old? I think not.

6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Forfeit my "man card," you say? Hardly. Pride and Prejudice is a classic for a reason and it also just so happens to contain some of the best dialogue ever put into English. It's tragic that I've wanted to reread this for ten years, but have never gotten around to it. That needs to be rectified.

7. The Stand by Stephen King
This is Stephen King's magnum opus. What more do I need to say than that?

8. One of William Shakespeare's comedies, one of his tragedies, and one of his histories
Pretty much all you'll need for this is The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works. Why would you not want to read one of the greatest writers in the English language?

Nonfiction(in no particular order)
1. The Bible
Obviously.

2. Confessions by Augustine
Despite what you might initially think, the personal confessions of one of the heroes of the faith is one of the most beneficial things you will ever read as a Christian.

3. The Cross of Christ by John R. W. Stott
This is perhaps the best book on the atonement ever written. Not too academic, but not light reading, either. Another beneficial book for all believers.

4. On the Incarnation of the Word by Athanasius
I would be remiss if I included in this list a modern book on the atonement without also including one of the most important ancient treatises on the subject as well. This should be required reading for every Christian.

5. On Writing by Stephen King
Speaking of required reading, this should be required reading for all seminarians. I'm serious, professors. You guys get on that. :-) Non-seminarians who still plan on writing anything? Yup, required reading for you as well.

6. Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
One of the greatest expositions on what it means to follow Christ in modern times.

7. Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects by Bertrand Russell
I read this occasionally to re-familiarize myself with common modern objections to Christianity. Plus, it helps that Russell is quite an entertaining writer. Many of the objections he raises have been addressed and/or refuted by philosophers, but it's still worth reading.

Athanasian Aggro

2010-06-21T14:03:00.002-05:00

Many of you know I am a PhD student in theology. Many of you also know that I am a lifelong gamer. As I was preparing for my upcoming comprehensive exams, I was jokingly thinking about what it might sound like if I attempted to answer questions on the exam in gaming terms. Here's a sample of what I came up with:

"Proponents of true Christology obtained an epic win at the Council of Nicaea when they fragged Arius' faulty theology. Arius had previously told his cohorts prior to the council, 'We need more heteroousian DPS, more heteroousian DPS!" but alas, the members of his guild caught major aggro from Athanasius and simply could not deliver in the heat of battle."

My Oscar Picks

2010-03-07T12:57:00.010-06:00

The Oscars are tonight, so I thought I'd share my picks for who I think will win. My picks will be marked with asterisks. Following the Awards tonight, I'll update this post with the winners by marking them in bold. Let's see how I do. :-)

Actor in a Leading Role

*Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart"*
George Clooney in "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth in "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman in "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker"

Actor in a Supporting Role

Matt Damon in "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones"
*Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"*

Actress in a Leading Role

*Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"*
Helen Mirren in "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan in "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia"

Actress in a Supporting Role

Penélope Cruz in "Nine"
Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air"
Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air"
*Mo’Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"*

Animated Feature Film

"Coraline" Henry Selick
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" Wes Anderson
"The Princess and the Frog" John Musker and Ron Clements
"The Secret of Kells" Tomm Moore
*"Up" Pete Docter*

Art Direction

*"Avatar" Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair*
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
"Nine" Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
"Sherlock Holmes" Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Young Victoria" Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Cinematography

*"Avatar" Mauro Fiore*
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Bruno Delbonnel
"The Hurt Locker" Barry Ackroyd
"Inglourious Basterds" Robert Richardson
"The White Ribbon" Christian Berger

Costume Design

"Bright Star" Janet Patterson
"Coco before Chanel" Catherine Leterrier
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" Monique Prudhomme
"Nine" Colleen Atwood
*"The Young Victoria" Sandy Powell*

Directing

"Avatar" James Cameron
*"The Hurt Locker" Kathryn Bigelow*
"Inglourious Basterds" Quentin Tarantino
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Lee Daniels
"Up in the Air" Jason Reitman

Documentary (Feature)

"Burma VJ" Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
*"The Cove" Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens*
"Food, Inc." Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers" Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
"Which Way Home" Rebecca Cammisa

Documentary (Short Subject)

*"China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province" Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill*
"The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner" Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
"The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
"Music by Prudence" Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
"Rabbit à la Berlin" Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Film Editing

*"Avatar" Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron*
"District 9" Julian Clarke
"The Hurt Locker" Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
"Inglourious Basterds" Sally Menke
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Joe Klotz

Foreign Language Film

"Ajami" Israel
"The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)" Peru
"A Prophet (Un Prophète)" France
"The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)" Argentina
*"The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)" Germany*

Makeup

"Il Divo" Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
*"Star Trek" Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow*
"The Young Victoria" Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Music (Original Score)

"Avatar" James Horner
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" Alexandre Desplat
"The Hurt Locker" Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
"Sherlock Holmes" Hans Zimmer
*"Up" Michael Giacchino*

Music (Original Song)

"Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
"Take It All" from "Nine" Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
*"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett*

Best Picture

"Avatar" James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
"The Blind Side" Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers
"District 9" Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
"An Education" Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
*"The Hurt Locker" Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers*
"Inglourious Basterds" Lawrence Bender, Producer
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
"A Serious Man" Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
"Up" Jonas Rivera, Producer
"Up in the Air" Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

"French Roast" Fabrice O. Joubert
"Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty" Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
"The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)" Javier Recio Gracia
"Logorama" Nicolas Schmerkin
*"A Matter of Loaf and Death" Nick Park*

Short Film (Live Action)

*"The Door" Juanita Wilson and James Flynn*
"Instead of Abracadabra" Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
"Kavi" Gregg Helvey
"Miracle Fish" Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
"The New Tenants" Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Sound Editing

*"Avatar" Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle*
"The Hurt Locker" Paul N.J. Ottosson
"Inglourious Basterds" Wylie Stateman
"Star Trek" Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
"Up" Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Sound Mixing

*"Avatar" Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson*
"The Hurt Locker" Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
"Inglourious Basterds" Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
"Star Trek" Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Visual Effects

*"Avatar" Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones*
"District 9" Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
"Star Trek" Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

"District 9" Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
"An Education" Screenplay by Nick Hornby
"In the Loop" Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
*"Up in the Air" Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner*

Writing (Original Screenplay)

"The Hurt Locker" Written by Mark Boal
*"Inglourious Basterds" Written by Quentin Tarantino*
"The Messenger" Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
"A Serious Man" Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"Up" Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

My Top Ten Favorite Television Shows of All Time

2010-03-02T13:34:00.008-06:00

I was recently asked what my favorite television shows of all time were, so I have produced this list. Note that these are not what I would consider to be the "best television shows of all time" in the sense of looking at them from a pure, production quality standpoint. That is not to say that none of them fit that bill, however, because some of them certainly are the best of all time. Still, these are my favorites--the ten shows that have provided me with the most enjoyment out of watching television. If you feel like letting me know your own, please do so.

10. The Adventures of Pete & Pete

Believe it or not, there once was a time when kids were actually intelligent and were able to grasp maturely immature (yes, that oxymoron means exactly what I intended) humor. The Adventures of Pete & Pete was a television show from that time. Sure, there were only three seasons of it, but that was mostly due to the fact that Nickelodeon quickly realized they could make more money from advertisers by peddling inferior rubbish to children than from keeping quality like Pete & Pete on the air. Gone were smart shows like Pete & Pete and in came the forerunners for the drivel that populates that network today.

9. Batman: The Animated Series

Speaking of mature shows for kids, here is Batman: The Animated Series. Not only is it, in my opinion, the greatest animated series ever made, but it was almost always smartly written and even emotionally moving at times. Batman did what few animated children's shows have ever done: it made viewers think by dipping down into the psyche of a man haunted by his past who, at the same time, tries to live up to what he believes he should be as a result of said past. And how many animated children's shows go that deep?

8. MacGyver

I'll be honest--MacGyver was my hero when I was growing up. I mean, the guy's a genius, he always knew cool ways to get out of tight situations and he rocked what may be the coolest mullet ever while repeatedly stopping the evil machinations of baddies worldwide, all without using guns. What's not to love?

7. Fringe

Yes, I know that Fringe is only in its second season, but it still has become one of my all-time faves. While definitely drawing on The X-Files for creative inspiration, the reason why it is on this list and The X-Files is not is simply because Fringe has not had the chance to derail itself yet. And let's all be honest; The X-Files derailed itself. Badly. Perhaps even unforgivably. Assuming Fringe does not, it will stay on this list. Too weird, freaky, and macabre for some, but just right for me. And who doesn't love a good battle between two alternate realities?

6. Firefly

You're going to notice a bit of a trend from here on out: Joss Whedon shows. I am unashamedly a Whedon fanboy (I like to think that genius recognizes genius ;-P). Firefly was Whedon's follow-up to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and never had the chance it deserved due to Fox's clear lack of support for the show. The network executives at Fox messed with the pilot, changed the ordering of some episodes, stuck the show in a horrible time slot, and barely promoted it. How can a show succeed like that? Hence, only one season of Firefly was ever produced, but man, was it good. An outer space Western? You better believe it. And a fine television show at that.

5. Arrested Development

Arrested Development was a comedy that was critically acclaimed (it won several Emmys), but barely watched. As is often the case in the land of television, there are shows that many people will not watch because they would rather watch more popular fare. Arrested Development suffered this fate, which is a shame because I can guarantee you that it was funnier than 98% of the comedies that have ever been on television. And better written. What passes as comedy on television, for the most part, is laugh track junk catered specifically to a populace with dumbed-down tastes. After all, if all you ever eat is hamburgers, eventually you get to the point where you have no desire at all for a USDA prime steak.

4. Dollhouse

(Fox is incredibly strict about their property showing up on YouTube, so in lieu of the opening sequence, here is a fan-made promo.)

Dollhouse was another Whedon show (ironically on Fox after the Firefly debacle) that was never given the chance it should have been given. From the beginning, Fox stepped in and had Whedon redo the pilot, gave the show poor marketing, and stuck it in the Friday night time slot of death. What was especially unfortunate about all of this was that Dollhouse was arguably one of the most intelligent shows on television during 2009. One reviewer even went so far as to call it, "more intellectually demanding than LOST." While I would argue that each is intellectually demanding in different areas, the fact remains that the show undoubtedly was for the thinking man (or woman). Fox used Eliza Dushku's attractiveness to market the show to young men (read: frat boys) and in doing so, they effectively ensured the show's demise. Frat boy may likey good looking girl and action sequences, but frat boy no likey having to think. Sure, the show had action, but what the show did was ask the viewer to examine the human condition and end up with a decidedly negative realization. The majority of those to whom the show was marketed were simply unwilling to do so.

As for Whedon's predispositions with the show, he may be an atheist, but he is at least right, in that he operates under the assumption that humanity is totally depraved. And with Dollhouse , he asked a major anthropological question: if you can, with advanced technology, wipe away the memories and personality of someone and implant new ones in him or her, have you wiped away his or her soul? Too sci-fi for you? It'll never happen? Hmmm... I'm sure the anthropological, theological, and ethical implications of human cloning were probably a bit too sci-fi for people back in the 1980s as well. :-)

3. La Femme Nikita

(WARNING: If you watch these opening credits all the way to the season five credits, some of the plot may be spoiled as to which characters remain throughout the series.)

24, 24, 24. Everyone loves 24, don't they? Before 24, its creators, Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, created its superior progenitor, La Femme Nikita : the story of a woman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, falsely accused and convicted of murder, and was recruited in prison by a mysterious counterterrorist group known as Section One. Forced to work in an organization that operates under a strict "the ends justify the means" mentality, she quickly realizes that the consequence for refusing to work or attempting to escape is death. The show, for the most part, deals with her struggles as she unwillingly carries out the demands of the organization, even if they are for the greater good.

The show is brilliantly written, brilliantly acted, and brilliantly shot. It certainly has a European feel to it, which is probably explained by the fact that it was filmed and produced in Canada. And just as an aside, in the episode, "Four Light Years Farther," there is what I consider to be the most ingenious emotional moment in television history. But that's just the icing on the cake. Watch your 24 (don't get me wrong; it's a good show), but once you've finished your milk, move on to some solid food. :-)

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy is, in my opinion, the most cleverly written show in television history. It has humor, it has gravitas, it has romance, it has well-crafted stories...in short, it has it all. It even has what Entertainment Weekly once declared to be what might be considered the best hour in television history, the episode, "The Body." "But isn't that a show about a girl who kills vampires?" you ask. "How can that be of high quality?" Well, Joss Whedon knows pop culture, he knows how to provide commentary on pop culture through his characters, he knows how to write exceptional dialogue, and he knows how to arc storylines over a given amount of episodes to make everything fit together well. He has a narrative mindset, which is a rare talent these days, especially considering the number of popular shows today that seem to just wander aimlessly or repeat storylines ad nauseum. Sure, Buffy may have had some missteps along the way like many a television show. No show is perfect. But Buffy sure comes pretty close.

1. LOST

There has never been anything on television like LOST before and there never will be again. Need I say more? :-)

Television Shows of which I Have Seen Every Episode

2010-03-01T15:30:00.000-06:00

EDIT (3/1/10): Updated once again.

I thought it would be fun to list out the television shows of which I have seen every episode (or for a show still in-progress, every episode up to its last ending point) and to ask my fellow bloggers to post their own. Again, only every episode counts. No "all but one or two" and please also designate shows that are still in-progress.

(in alphabetical order)
The Adventures of Pete and Pete
Angel
Arrested Development
Batman: The Animated Series
Breaking Bad (show still in-progress)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Closer (show still in-progress)
Dark Skies
Dollhouse
Duckman
Firefly
FlashForward (show still in-progress)
Fringe (show still in-progress)
Gargoyles
James Bond Jr.
La Femme Nikita
LOST (show still in-progress)
MacGyver
Mythbusters (show still in-progress)
The Pretender
Profiler
Salute Your Shorts
Survivor (show still in-progress)
The Tomorrow People (1992-1995 version)

The Believer, Apple, and "Technolust"

2010-01-26T10:14:00.007-06:00

As you are probably aware if you follow Internet news, Apple is set to hold a press event tomorrow, during which they are likely to announce their new tablet computer. Indeed, the Internet has been abuzz over Apple's newest technological marvel for quite some time, with speculation that Apple might be working on a tablet computer going at least back to the beginning of 2009. Apple is no stranger to such speculation, as since the very first iPod was unveiled, rumors have run rampant regarding new iterations of the device as well as of Apple's other popular products like the Mac and iPhone.

When one combines buzz, speculation, and the amazing propensity of today's consumer to be utterly transfixed by whatever idea Apple thinks up next, he has a recipe for a wallet-draining cocktail that is imbibed with an astounding regularity by a seemingly parched American public. One need look no further than to the thousands of Americans who queued for many hours back in June in order to get their hands on Apple's latest version of the iPhone, even though the majority of said persons already owned the previous version that served their needs adequately. Call it the "grass is greener..." effect. Humans may not be bovines, but they certainly can act like them at times.

For some Americans like Xavier Yaffar, such impulsive behavior stemming from an equally impulsive attitude is no problem at all. In a recent CNN article, he was quoted as saying that when it comes to buying new Apple products, "I don't even have to look at it." Mr. Yaffar is not alone in this stance. Thousands of Americans have an infatuation not only with technology in general, but with Apple products in particular. The CNN article itself references the "Cult" of Apple in its title and even as I am typing this post, Internet personality, Sarah Lane, has just tweeted, "Would it be at all possible to stop incessantly talking about the Tablet for 24 hrs?" Clearly, Apple fans are treating the possible announcement of Apple's tablet as though the world has stopped until tomorrow's press event has ended.

As believers, however, we must take a long, hard look at technology and reject the worldly attitude that the latest technological innovation is the "end all, be all" for our lives or that our lives are somehow deficient if we do not possess whatever latest device comes down the pipeline. This is not to say that technology is inherently evil. I'm not saying that at all. Rather, the point is that far too many Christians are caught up in "technolust" and are letting technology rule over them rather than the reverse.

As believers, we must understand that ultimately, technology is a tool. A tool for daily living and productivity? Yes. But technology is also a tool at the believer's disposal for the furtherance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we let technology control us, when we find ourselves addicted to whatever tools we possess for kingdom purposes, we have done nothing short than set up them up as idols to which we are bowing down. Even if the believer does not intentionally worship technology, if he is so consumed with it that it controls his every thought or influences his every action, there is a serious spiritual problem afoot.

For instance, can Twitter be used for the glory of God? Absolutely. And it has. But there is a considerable difference between Twitter being used for the glory of God and a believer being so inundated with Twitter's influence that he feels as though he cannot go more than thirty minutes without checking tweets, for fear of missing something. That is being ruled by technology rather than the other way around.

But let's apply this back to Apple, shall we? Whatever Apple's forthcoming tablet is, whatever it does, it is nonetheless a technological tool and nothing more. Even if the tablet exists primarily for entertainment purposes, it is still a tool. Why? Because it is intended to meet a need (or want): in that particular case, entertainment. But as I am sitting here typing this post, there are literally thousands of people scouring the Internet, looking for whatever informative morsel might have fallen off of Apple's dining table. The tablet is no tool to them; it is, in effect, sustenance. Things no doubt will be even worse tomorrow when thousands simply stop working until Apple's press event has finished and the next technological messiah has been revealed.

These same people will be the ones who immediately decide that their lives will be incomplete without Apple's tablet, will pine for it until it is in their hands, and basically will restructure their whole lives around obtaining the tablet and using it. Yet the irony is that, unlike the crowds who thronged around Jesus for healing, the maladies these technological addicts suffer are entirely a matter of their own perception.

Still, flock to their latest messiah they will and the world will once again salivate with an almost Pavlovian response to whatever Apple tells us we simply must have. The question to technologically-oriented believers is, "Will you?"

My Top Ten Favorite Films of 2009

2010-01-11T16:00:00.004-06:00

Here we go! It's film time! Like the past couple of years, it has taken me into the early part of the new year to finish seeing the films of 2009 I wished to see. Many people have their "top ten" lists completed much earlier, but I'm not one to produce such a list until I've experienced all of the contenders I wish to experience. Again, the rule for each of my "top" lists is that each item of media must have had an original release date in 2009. However, just as last year, before we get into this list, a brief excursus would be beneficial.

EXCURSUS ON THE VIEWING OF R-RATED MOVIES:

If one were to do a little research on the films within this list as well as the films in the list of all the films I viewed this year, he or she would discover that several have been given the rating "R - Restricted" by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This, then, could quite naturally lead to the questioning of whether it is appropriate for a believer to view R-rated movies. As the reader is no doubt aware, some believers choose (based upon personal convictions) to avoid viewing any R-rated movies whatsoever.

The difference between such believers and myself is quite simple: they are willing to let the arbitrary and often politically motivated decisions of a group of (presumably) unbelievers determine whether or not they will see certain movies, while I will not allow such decisions to determine what films I see. Some, I'm sure, will probably disagree with my characterization of the MPAA and attempt to laud it as "not perfect, but the best barometer we have." Unfortunately, those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are arbitrary obviously have not seen enough films and those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are often politically motivated are woefully mired in a painful naiveté concerning the way Hollywood operates. The reality is not only that some PG-13 movies should be R ("The Dark Knight," for example) and some R movies should be PG-13, but also that money and corporate "back-scratching" go a very long way in determining a movie's rating.

Because of these circumstances, I simply do not allow the MPAA to determine whether or not I see a film; I let God determine that. There is certainly much to be praised about researching a film's content before viewing it. I always do so in order to educate myself fully about the film and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct me in whether or not it is appropriate or beneficial viewing.

My point in saying all of this is that if you use the MPAA to determine whether or not you see a film, such a practice is certainly your prerogative, as is my practice of relying on case-by-case evaluation. But, please do not assume that my viewing of certain R-rated films is an accurate measuring stick to determine my level of spiritual maturity; likewise, please do not assume that my viewing of any R-rated film necessarily constitutes my endorsement of the film for viewing by every Christian. And with that, it is now time for one of my famous disclaimers...

DISCLAIMER (to those to whom I must always disclaim things): Please keep the following in mind. The posting of this list of "Top Ten Favorite Films of 2009" in no way expressly indicates or otherwise implies that the author of this blog endorses in any way the actual films themselves or the characters, the dialogue, the actions, the theological implications, and the profanities/obscenities that are portrayed therein. Because both art and film as an art form are highly interpretive and subjective in nature, the author of this blog is hereby absolved of any responsibility whatsoever as to how these films or their contents are interpreted by the viewer/reader. Any conclusion (about the films themselves or the author's decision to declare them as his favorites of the year) reached by the viewer/reader that does not adequately take into consideration what is expressly stated in this disclaimer is thereby rendered entirely without merit and erroneous.

Now, on to the show.

Matt's Top Ten Favorite Films of 2009

10. Avatar

Avatar has become a critical darling (read: "Oscar bait") in the weeks since its release on December 18 and to be honest, I'm not sure why. The film is entertaining and engrossing without a doubt, but its story is predictable and derivative. The film breaks new ground technologically with the most advanced motion capture ever used, yet at the end of the day, you realize that regardless of the special effects, it's not that different from typical fantasy fare. And, of course, I could also go into the whole issue of James Cameron preaching at us with all of his left even to the left eco-concerns. (By the way, James, there is this thing called "nuance" that you might want to look into.)

So, why is Avatar on my "Top Ten" list this year? Well, it's because in spite of everything above or maybe even because of some of it, I just can't deny that it really encapsulated what going to the movies should be about sometimes: losing yourself in a fantasy world and appreciating the creative telling of a story no matter how unoriginal that story may be. The fact that many films recycle the plots of others does bother me somewhat, but if you can do so in an entertaining way, I'll overlook that you have. Apparently James Cameron can.

9. District 9

Part sci-fi film, part apartheid allegory, District 9 took a lot of people by surprise this summer, myself included. It is one thing to do typical sci-fi fare, which although I enjoy, is not necessarily always intellectual. It is another thing to do sci-fi with a twist that moves it beyond something along the lines of this summer's revamp of Star Trek.

While Star Trek was another enjoyable and well-done film, the reason District 9 is on this list and Star Trek is not is because District 9 strove to be even something more than just a good sci-fi movie. By taking apartheid and applying it even reversely to another context, District 9 launched itself into the realm of thought-provoking cinema, which honestly is not an area upon which many films of any genre ever tread.

8. (500) Days of Summer

I'm not usually a fan of very many "romantic" films. I don't mind love stories as long as they are told well and in the case of (500) Days of Summer, one finds a love story told in a very unique and compelling way: out of order. While most "romantic" films devolve into some sort of mushy fantasy and stretch the boundaries of credulity at nearly every corner, (500) Days of Summer seems more real than most.

Instead of continuing down a long line of tropes from the "romantic" genre, it carves out its own niche by being smart, funny, and engaging. Most romantic comedies simply settle for what they think is funny; in fact, I usually "check out" mentally not far from the beginning of most simply because I know ahead of time how stupid and predictable they are going to be. Not so for (500) Days of Summer. Think of it as the thinking man's romantic dramedy.

7. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

I'm sure the interest most people had in this film was that it was Heath Ledger's final performance. The interest that I had in it, of course, was that it was a Terry Gilliam film (Yes, Python fans, THAT Terry Gilliam, if you didn't already know). The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a whimsical tale that, in essence, asks you to use your own imagination to delve into the imagination of a director who is delving into the imaginations of his characters. Heady? Yes. Delicious? Oh, yes indeed.

While I still think that Brazil remains Gilliam's best work, Parnassus is not far from it in quality. I suppose my biggest criticism of Gilliam is that he often has so much to do in his films, so much ground to cover, that he can't get too deep into any of his characters. Parnassus suffers this problem to an extent, yet because other aspects of the film are so wonderful, it's not as big of an issue as it otherwise might seem at first. Sure, there may be things you never know or understand about some of the characters, but it doesn't really matter as much as the overall story Gilliam is conveying.

6. An Education

An Education presents the story of a potentially Oxford-bound young woman who happens to meet an older gentleman from a much..."different" world. And while you may think you already know where such a story is headed, you actually probably don't. An Education ran the risk of being formulaic and predictable. Though these two sins are forgivable in other genres (see above), in serious dramas they are not. Ever.

So, it was pleasant to see not only that An Education avoided that problem, but also that it was just a fine overall film to boot. Carey Mulligan is simply splendid in her breakout role as Jenny and I'm sure she will get an Oscar nomination for her perfect blend of naiveté and intelligence. The rest of the cast does an excellent job as well, but the star of the show, as far as I'm concerned, is the story itself: a well-crafted story of a girl who may or may not be willing to give up an Oxford-educated future to follow a dream. You'll just have to watch the film and see.

5. The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Here come the top five and the first is the best animated film of the year (in my opinion), The Fantastic Mr. Fox. It's no secret that I love Wes Anderson films for their quirkiness, humor, and intelligence. In the case of Mr. Fox, however, it's almost as if Anderson was born to make stop-motion animated films based on Roald Dahl books about animals (and I mean that as a compliment).

Make no mistake, Wes Anderson is a director for adults and Mr. Fox is a film for adults, not because of objectionable content, but because of its maturity. I'd be willing to wager that a good number of children who saw this film didn't like it. Why? Because they didn't understand it--almost everything would have been above their heads. But for adults, it's a win-win: good 'ole stop-motion animation and humor.

4. A Serious Man

Ah, the Coen brothers, the Coen brothers. I like most of their films, as they tend to explore the human condition and dig deep into the psyches of their characters. But even I was surprised at how overtly theological A Serious Man was. In fact, I'd say that it has to be one of the most theological films to appear in a long time.

The story of a Jewish physics professor who begins to question why God (Hashem, of course) is allowing such disastrous things to happen in his life, it explores faith in a way not many in Hollywood are willing to go in film: a serious way (pun intended). It's refreshing to see that when many films are lambasting and ridiculing faith, the Coen brothers are willing to jump in and ask their own questions about God and man. While it is a dark "comedy" of sorts, (the humor being mostly in the piling up of the circumstances) it nevertheless causes any serious film viewer to come out of the theater with theological questions in mind. And how many Hollywood films can you say that about?

3. Inglourious Basterds

Well, if there were any film on this list that some are most likely to find objectionable, this is the one. I'm not going to get into the content other than to say that war is violent and thus I really don't have that much of a problem with violent depictions of war. In fact, non-violent depictions of war are disingenuous to me. Can you imagine Saving Private Ryan without the blood and gore? How much of an effect would it have had on the viewer had the war it depicted been "sanitized"? Anyway, that's my spiel and I don't plan on saying anything else about that issue.

There's no denying that Quentin Tarantino loves film and knows how to make a good one. I'd be willing to wager that he has studied more film and knows more about film history than 85% of the directors who currently direct films. As such, he knows what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Inglourious Basterds is no exception to his prowess. A World War II history revision, it basically is Tarantino's version of the way he wishes the war would have gone: a plot to kill Hitler at a German film festival held at a theater owned by a young Jewish woman whose family was murdered by Nazis when she was a little girl. Pure cinematic genius and if you don't believe me, just wait for its Oscar nomination for "Best Picture" come early February.

2. Up in the Air

Though I don't much care for him as a person, George Clooney is one fine actor. The guy has a way of delivering his lines for which I don't really have an adjective to describe. So, it's no surprise that he shines as a traveling playboy of sorts whose job it is to fire people from corporations who are too cowardly to do it themselves. While at first that may seem like a boring premise for a film, it really isn't.

The reason is because, of course, there is much more to the film than that. It essentially becomes a character study of a man who intentionally lives his life in a way that forces him not to develop any meaningful relationships with anyone. And while he gets some satisfaction out of "casual" relationships with females, is that really enough to sustain him as a person? Can he truly be happy by not being close with anyone, including his own family members? The answers to those questions are ultimately left to the viewer to decide.

1. The Hurt Locker

Well, here we go: it's my favorite film of the year. In my opinion, The Hurt Locker is also the best film of the year. It tells the story of an American soldier in Iraq who is part of the military's bomb disarming unit. Although you may be tempted to think that it is a war action film, it is not. Rather, it is the story of a man who has become so addicted to the prospect of potentially dying, so addicted to the adrenaline that can come only from being so close to death, that he simply cannot stop doing what he does. For that matter, disarming bombs is his life.

The Hurt Locker is poignant, apolitical, and a fascinating look into the psyche of a man who seems to love the prospect of almost dying more than anything else. There are certain "edge of your seat" moments in the film, sure. But the real attraction is trying to ascertain what would cause someone to have the psychology and philosophical outlook of the main character. Is he afraid to die? Does he want to die? What does he believe in terms of an afterlife?

Who knows?

Films of 2009 I Viewed:
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
New in Town
Taken
Coraline
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Watchmen
Duplicity
State of Play
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
The Proposal
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Public Enemies
The Hurt Locker
(500) Days of Summer
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Julie & Julia
District 9
The Time Traveler's Wife
Inglourious Basterds
9
A Serious Man
An Education
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Young Victoria
Up in the Air
Avatar
Sherlock Holmes
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

My Top Five Favorite Video Games of 2009

2009-12-29T13:11:00.000-06:00

Now it is time for "My Top Five Favorite Video Games of 2009." That leaves my list of favorite films, which will appear shortly after the beginning of the new year, so I have time to finish up some of the films I have yet to see. Again, the rule for each of these lists is that each item must have had an original release date in 2009.

Matt's Top Five Favorite Video Games of 2009

5. Left 4 Dead 2 by Valve, for the Xbox 360 and PC

4. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars by Rockstar Games, for the Nintendo DS

3. The Beatles: Rock Band by Harmonix, for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii

2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 by Infinity Ward, for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC

1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves by Naughty Dog, for the Playstation 3

Honorable Mentions: New Super Mario Bros. Wii by Nintendo, for the Nintendo Wii; Halo 3: ODST by Bungie, for the Xbox 360; Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days by Square Enix, for the Nintendo DS; Scribblenauts by 5th Cell, for the Nintendo DS; Flower by ThatGameCompany, for the Playstation 3

My Top Five Favorite Albums of 2009

2009-12-27T14:01:00.010-06:00

Guess what? Christmas has passed. Do you know what that means? Yup, it's "Top _____ of 2009" time! I don't know what it is about "Top _____ of _____" lists, but I always find myself addicted to them and then the spontaneous urge to produce my own lists emerges. So, away we go with my "Top Five Favorite Albums"! My "Top Five Favorite Video Games" will follow soon and my "Top Five Favorite Films" will be posted not long after the new year has begun. While I won't provide comments on my album list or video game list, I will provide them on the film list. As expected, the rule for each of my "top five" lists is that each item must have had an original release date in 2009.

Matt's Top Five Favorite Albums of 2009

5. Riceboy Sleeps by Jónsi & Alex

4. The Resistance by Muse

3. Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective

2. Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear

1. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix

Honorable Mentions: No honorable mentions this year, as I only purchased five albums with release dates in 2009. Guess these five were my favorites by default, huh? :-)

Films of 2009 I've Viewed

2009-12-19T16:30:00.000-06:00

Normally, I'd put one of my disclaimers up for a post like this, but I'll forgo the verbose assault as that's all been hashed out on this blog before. BOTTOM LINE: I don't endorse anyone seeing any of these films, no matter what the rating. Whether or not you watch a certain film is between you and the Holy Spirit. Capiche? And if you want to try to infer my level of spiritual maturity by what films I've viewed, that's your waste of time, not mine.

I'll keep this updated as we approach the eventual terminus of 2009. All movies are listed in order of release date. As expected, the only qualification is that the film had an original release date in 2009. Try to guess which ones were my choices and which ones were Susan's. :-)

Paul Blart: Mall Cop
New in Town
Taken
Coraline
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Watchmen
Duplicity
State of Play
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Star Trek
The Proposal
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Public Enemies
The Hurt Locker
(500) Days of Summer
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Julie & Julia
District 9
The Time Traveler's Wife
Inglourious Basterds
9
A Serious Man
An Education
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up in the Air
Avatar

Battle of the Books

2009-10-26T12:23:00.003-05:00

VS.

Who ya got?

Clarifications of the Creative Imperative

2009-08-20T13:44:00.003-05:00

Upon talking to a few friends concerning my previous post, it became clear to me that I need to clarify a few things regarding it. First, I was not intending to imply that "creative" scholarship was in any way better than traditional scholarship. I think it is foolish to attempt to place more value on one type than the other for the simple reason that both are equally needed in the academy. My point is that there are two types of scholarship: there is scholarship that builds upon what has already been established and there is scholarship that breaks new ground. It is my hope that my dissertation will fall into the latter category.

Secondly, "creative" scholarship IS scholarship. By "creative" scholarship, I do not mean simply creating a project with no ties to previous works, minimal citations, unsubstantiated opinions, etc. It is not amateurish. I am not issuing a call for lowering the bar on what can be considered true scholarship. I am, however, issuing a call for theological academics to open their eyes and see that the bar exists in other places, even cross-disciplinary ones.

Lastly, I harbor no delusions of my potential dissertation being revolutionary. I'm not expecting it to be the greatest thing since the Reformation's return to justification by faith. If anything, I expect it to receive a rather tepid response, if for no other reason than the probable outcome that so many will cursorily dismiss it as irrelevant. In my opinion, it is good that I anticipate that, as it will be my job, in fact, to show such naysayers just how wrong they really are.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. As I mentioned previously, it all is a step-by-step process and there are still hurdles to jump in order to be cleared to begin officially writing the dissertation. Still, I fully believe that much of my life has been in preparation for writing it, almost as if God allowed me to develop such a passion for the very purpose of looking at it from an explicitly theological standpoint. And that is all the more reason why I meant exactly what I said about not taking "no" for an answer.

Don't get me wrong; the purpose of being in a PhD program is for obtaining a PhD. But the bottom line is that the only reason I ever entered the PhD program in the first place was because of the Lord leading me in that direction, not because I had an earthly desire to obtain a PhD. For me, it never has been about a degree. And it never will.

Theology PhDs and the Creative (But Not Categorical) Imperative

2009-08-16T16:21:00.006-05:00

As it has been quite some time since I have made a decidedly substantive post, I thought it might be best to jump back in with one related to the PhD program in general, though perhaps more precisely, my progress in said program. The impetus behind this post is quite simple: slowly throughout my years in the M.Div. program, I began to pick up on something that bothered me the more I thought about it. The relationship between the omnipotence of God and human responsibility? Nope. Explaining how Jesus Christ can be 100% divine and 100% human? Nuh-uh. (Insert other theological conundrum here)? No. What began to bother me was really not so much theological as it was methodological and that was the lack of creativity. As I progressed into the PhD program, the problem only manifested itself more.

Now, I'm sure the more theologically inclined among you are already thinking the same thing I'm thinking--traditionally, creativity in theology has been disdained by the church (read: doctrinal guardians) and for good reason. After all, creativity is only one step removed from heresy, is it not? But I'm not talking about creativity in the sense of getting inventive, creating new teachings or reaching preposterous conclusions which do not conform to Scripture. The plenitude of heretics throughout church history are not creative heroes. The kind of creativity I'm talking about is a creativity in application and the ability to think outside the box (sorry to be platitudinous).

Time and time again, whether it was through reading theological monographs, perusing dissertations, or writing my own research papers, I was confronted with the realization that these were all "Variations on a Theme" (if Brahms will permit his music for metaphorical usage) as it were; someone (probably ancient) began a certain line of thought and then scores upon scores of scholars either built upon his arguments or made minutiae out of his minutiae ad nauseum. This continued until the point was reached where books were written of which one had absolutely no chance of comprehending even 10% unless he or she had read the innumerable other books which informed the author's thought. Do not misunderstand me--there is a place for this and such is a perfectly legitimate enterprise in the academy.

The problem is not that this type of scholarship exists so much as it is that myopia in the academy has produced the assumption that this is the ONLY legitimate type of scholarship. That is why professors count the number of sources used in dissertations, why they attempt to quantify the reputability of such sources, and why they naturally assume that whatever your contribution to the field might be, it must, IT MUST, be visibly built upon the backs of those who have come before you and somehow be a new way to think about what has already been thought. "Variations on a Theme," my friends.

For the record, I am not so naïve as to think that any dissertation (or monograph, for that matter) is wholly original, as if the author's thought was in no way influenced or informed by others. Let's not be ridiculous. However, perhaps I am naïve enough to believe that the state of the academy in this regard is in need of change. Perhaps I am naïve enough to believe that the academy has become so overspecialized that the thought of doing anything cross-disciplinary is so foreign to most that its academic legitimacy is automatically reduced to a "that's more for the popular level" mentality which, in turn, results from an ivory tower arrogance.

In the PhD program I quickly came to the realization that if I tried to do a "business as usual" dissertation, I would go insane. Again, there is a place for such dissertations and they are perfectly legitimate--somewhere out there is the need for "The Nuanced Meaning of Two Important Uses of 'Shamah' in Genesis," though I can only imagine what neuroses must be present in someone to possess him or her to spend years writing something so incredibly specialized (I jest, I jest). However, I knew that in order for me to survive the program to its completion, I would have to do something different and something a little more creative with my dissertation, something that presumably would take theology somewhere it has not been before. In my opinion, that is an equally legitimate and equally necessary enterprise.

And so, here I am--in the midst of studying for comprehensive exams, I know what I want to be my dissertation to be. Instead of a project in which I would consider researching and writing to be pure drudgery, I have a project in which researching and writing will be enjoyable. I understand that it is not set in stone and has yet to be approved. There are always steps in the PhD process; I must pass comps and have a prospectus approved before formal work can begin. But I also understand enough about both myself and the academy to know that it is an all-or-nothing situation--if my prospectus is not approved, there is no alternative. I will not subject myself to the torture of stifling my creativity and monotonously working on a project my heart is not in, no matter what the perceived value of the degree attached to the end of it may be.

To those whose dissertations either have been or will be what might be considered typical fare: Kudos. But that ain't me.

Coldplay Setlist

2009-07-22T07:22:00.003-05:00

Here's the setlist from last night's Coldplay concert at the Superpages.com Center in Dallas! Amazing show!

Life in Technicolor
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Yellow
Glass of Water
Cemeteries of London
42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing

Out in the Crowd (B Stage)
God Put a Smile Upon Your Face (Techno Version)
Talk (Techno Version)
Trouble
Postcards from Far Away

Viva la Vida
Lost!

Out in the Crowd Again (C Stage)
Green Eyes
Death Will Never Conquer
Billie Jean

Politik
Lovers in Japan
Death and All His Friends

Encore
The Scientist
Life in Technicolor ii

LOST and the Proof of Human Idiocy

2009-03-26T08:31:00.003-05:00

What can the ratings for LOST tell us about the human condition? Observe.

Season 1, Episode 12: 21.5 million viewers

Season 2, Episode 1: 23.4 million viewers

Season 3, Episode 1: 18.8 million viewers

Season 4, Episode 1: 17.7 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 2: 16.9 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 3: 15.6 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 4: 15.4 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 5: 14.9 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 6: 14.9 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 7: 13.8 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 8: 13.3 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 9: 14.0 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 10: 12.9 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 11: 13.0 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 12: 13.1 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 13: 13.9 million viewers
Season 4, Episode 14: 13.9 million viewers

Season 5, Episode 1: 11.3 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 2: 11.2 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 3: 11.0 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 4: 9.8 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 5: 11.4 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 6: 10.0 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 7: 10.6 million viewers
Season 5, Episode 8: 9.4 million viewers

There you have it, folks. As of March 18, 2009 (Season 5, Episode 8), at least 14 million Americans are complete and utter idiots.

Good day. :-)

The Sad State of the SBC's Internet Presence

2009-02-27T11:20:00.005-06:00

I'm not naming any names. I'm not pointing to any particular issues. What I am doing, however, is pointing to SBC blogs and journalism. Here's a song from my high school days. I'm sure you will be able to discern what applicability is there and how far it goes. I'm not saying that it correlates perfectly.

That said, shame on us.

"Christian Hate Mail" (Click to listen)
By: Calibretto

What is this I see? Can we not get along?
Discord in the body shows me something is wrong.
Difference of opinion brings about your hate.
The way that we view life makes you so irate.
Why can't you see there's no unity
In the way you hate me just because we don't agree?

Send us your hate mail in the name of Christ.
Insult us, bash us, but don't place nice.
I'm sure the Father's proud of the way you treat your brother.
It's sad to say the Christian way is beating up each other.

Not everything is black and white.
What makes me wrong, what makes you right?
I'm a Christian, too, but I would never want to be like you.
We see things differently.
You don't know my heart and you don't know me.
Stop holding this grudge.
Why don't you let God be my judge?
Your convictions, they are not mine.
The way you act is out of line.

Send us your hate mail in the name of Christ.
Insult us, bash us, but don't place nice.
I'm sure the Father's proud of the way you treat your brother.
It's sad to say the Christian way is beating up each other.

Oscar Night Predictions

2009-02-22T14:07:00.005-06:00

Since the Oscars are tonight, I thought I would share my predictions for all of the major categories. Tomorrow, I'll come back and edit this post with how accurate I ended up being. My predictions are in bold.

EDIT: The winners appear in italics below. The following are the awards I predicted correctly: Performace by an actor in a leading role, Performance by an actor in a supporting role, Performance by an actress in a leading role, Performance by an actress in a supporting role, Best animated feature film of the year, Achievement in costume design, Achievement in directing, Best documentary feature, Achievement in makeup, Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original score), Achievement in music written for motion pictures (original song), Best motion picture of the year, Achievement in sound editing, Achievement in visual effects, Adapted screenplay, Original screenplay.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

* Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
* Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
* Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
* Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

* Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
* Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
* Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

* Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
* Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

* Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)
* Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)
* Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year

* "Bolt" (Walt Disney) Chris Williams and Byron Howard
* "Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction

* "Changeling" (Universal) Art Direction: James J. Murakami Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Nathan Crowley Set Decoration: Peter Lando
* "The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Art Direction: Michael Carlin Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
* "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Art Direction: Kristi Zea Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography

* "Changeling" (Universal) Tom Stern
* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Claudio Miranda
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Wally Pfister
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design

* "Australia" (20th Century Fox) Catherine Martin
* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Jacqueline West
* "The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Michael O'Connor
* "Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Glicker
* "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Ron Howard
* "Milk" (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature

* "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)" (Cinema Guild) A Pandinlao Films Production Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
* "Encounters at the End of the World" (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment) A Creative Differences Production Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
* "The Garden" A Black Valley Films Production Scott Hamilton Kennedy
* "Man on Wire" (Magnolia Pictures) A Wall to Wall Production James Marsh and Simon Chinn
* "Trouble the Water" (Zeitgeist Films) An Elsewhere Films Production Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

* "The Conscience of Nhem En" A Farallon Films Production Steven Okazaki
* "The Final Inch" A Vermilion Films Production Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
* "Smile Pinki" A Principe Production Megan Mylan
* "The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306" A Rock Paper Scissors Production Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Lee Smith
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
* "Milk" (Focus Features) Elliot Graham
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year

* "The Baader Meinhof Complex" A Constantin Film Production - Germany
* "The Class" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haut et Court Production - France
* "Departures" (Regent Releasing) A Departures Film Partners Production - Japan
* "Revanche" (Janus Films) A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production - Austria
* "Waltz with Bashir" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production - Israel

Achievement in makeup

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Greg Cannom
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan
* "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Universal) Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Alexandre Desplat
* "Defiance" (Paramount Vantage) James Newton Howard
* "Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Elfman
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

* "Down to Earth" from "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman Lyric by Peter Gabriel
* "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Gulzar
* "O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) A Kennedy/Marshall Production Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
* "Milk" (Focus Features) A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) A Celador Films Production Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film

* "La Maison en Petits Cubes" A Robot Communications Production Kunio Kato
* "Lavatory - Lovestory" A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production Konstantin Bronzit
* "Oktapodi" (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L'école de l'image Production Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
* "Presto" (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production Doug Sweetland
* "This Way Up" A Nexus Production Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

* "Auf der Strecke (On the Line)" (Hamburg Shortfilmagency) An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production Reto Caffi
* "Manon on the Asphalt" (La Luna Productions) A La Luna Production Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
* "New Boy" (Network Ireland Television) A Zanzibar Films Production Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
* "The Pig" An M & M Production Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
* "Spielzeugland (Toyland)" A Mephisto Film Production Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing

* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Richard King
* "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment) Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Tom Sayers
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
* "Wanted" (Universal) Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
* "Wanted" (Universal) Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
* "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
* "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment) John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay

* "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Eric Roth Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
* "Doubt" (Miramax) Written by John Patrick Shanley
* "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Screenplay by Peter Morgan
* "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Screenplay by David Hare
* "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

* "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics) Written by Courtney Hunt
* "Happy-Go-Lucky" (Miramax) Written by Mike Leigh
* "In Bruges" (Focus Features) Written by Martin McDonagh
* "Milk" (Focus Features) Written by Dustin Lance Black
* "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon
Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Are Video Games Art?

2009-02-02T14:23:00.003-06:00

Are video games art in the same sense that films are art? Roger Ebert doesn't believe they are.

Roger Ebert is wrong.

Well Thought Out Twinkles

2009-02-01T21:49:00.002-06:00

Why? Because, who wouldn't want Silversun Pickups instead of writing a review on this Sunday evening?

"Well Thought Out Twinkles" by Silversun Pickups

How Did My Selections Stack Up?

2009-01-22T08:29:00.003-06:00

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning, so I thought it would be fun to see which of my "top ten" films received nominations, how many, and for what.

"Matt's Top Ten Favorite Films of 2008"

10. In Bruges
Nominated for: Best Original Screenplay

9. Iron Man
Nominated for: Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Visual Effects

8. Gran Torino
Nominated for: Nothing--a shock to most of us who keep up with the film industry

7. Doubt
Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Meryl Streep), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Amy Adams), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Viola Davis), Best Adapted Screenplay

6. WALL-E
Nominated for: Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song), Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Original Screenplay

5. The Dark Knight
Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Heath Ledger), Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Achievement in Makeup, Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Achievement in Visual Effects

4. Frost/Nixon
Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Frank Langella), Best Achievement in Directing (Ron Howard), Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Adapted Screenplay

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Brad Pitt), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Taraji P. Henson), Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Costume Design, Best Achievement in Directing (David Fincher), Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Achievement in Makeup, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Achievement in Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay

2. Revolutionary Road
Nominated for: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Michael Shannon), Best Achievement in Art Direction, Best Achievement in Costume Design

1. Slumdog Millionaire
Nominated for: Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Directing (Danny Boyle), Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score), Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song), Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song), Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Mixing, Best Adapted Screenplay

Hmmm...not bad. Not bad at all. :-)

My Top Ten Favorite Films of 2008

2009-01-16T22:10:00.007-06:00

Thanks for waiting for this, everyone. As you can see from the title above, I've turned this list into a "top ten" list as opposed to a "top five." Why? Well, there were some other movies besides my "top five" which were too good simply to relegate them to "honorable mention" status without saying anything else about them or ranking them. Consequently, this list is now my "top ten favorite films of 2008." Again, the rule for each of my "top" lists is always that each item of media must have had an original release date in 2008. However, before we get into this list, a brief excursus would be beneficial.

EXCURSUS ON THE VIEWING OF "R"-RATED MOVIES:

If one were to do a little research on the films within this list as well as the films in the list of all the films I viewed this year, he or she would discover that several have been given the rating "R - Restricted" by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This, then, could quite naturally lead to the questioning of whether it is appropriate for a believer to view R-rated movies. As the reader is no doubt aware, some believers choose (based upon personal convictions) to avoid viewing any R-rated movies whatsoever.

The difference between such believers and myself is quite simple: they are willing to let the arbitrary and often politically motivated decisions of a group of (presumably) unbelievers determine whether or not they will see certain movies, while I will not allow such decisions to determine what films I see. Some, I'm sure, will probably disagree with my characterization of the MPAA and attempt to laud it as "not perfect, but the best barometer we have." Unfortunately, those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are arbitrary obviously have not seen enough films and those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are often politically motivated are woefully mired in a painful naiveté concerning the way Hollywood operates. The reality is not only that some PG-13 movies should be R (see my comments on The Dark Knight below) and some R movies should be PG-13, but also that money and corporate "back-scratching" go a very long way in determining a movie's rating.

Because of these circumstances, I simply do not allow the MPAA to determine whether or not I see a film; I let God determine that. There is certainly much to be praised about researching a film's content before viewing it. I always do so in order to educate myself fully about the film and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct me in whether or not it is appropriate viewing.

My point in saying all of this is that if you use the MPAA to determine whether or not you see a film, while I believe you are misguided, such a practice is certainly your prerogative. But, please do not assume that my viewing of certain R-rated films is an accurate measuring stick to determine my level of spiritual maturity; likewise, please do not assume that my viewing of any R-rated film necessarily constitutes my endorsement of the film for viewing by every Christian. And with that, it is now time for one of my famous disclaimers...

DISCLAIMER (to those to whom I must always disclaim things): Please keep the following in mind. The posting of this list of "top ten favorite films of 2008" in no way expressly indicates or otherwise implies that the author of this blog endorses in any way the actual films themselves or the characters, the dialogue, the actions, the theological implications, and the profanities/obscenities that are portrayed therein. Because both art and film as an art form are highly interpretive and subjective in nature, the author of this blog is hereby absolved of any responsibility whatsoever as to how these films or their contents are interpreted by the viewer/reader. Any conclusion (about the films themselves or the author's decision to declare them as his favorites of the year) reached by the viewer/reader that does not adequately take into consideration what is expressly stated in this disclaimer is thereby rendered entirely without merit and erroneous.

Now, on to the show.

Matt's Top Ten Favorite Films of 2008

10. In Bruges

There's just something about British gangsters with comedy thrown in that I love. To be quite honest, though, I usually don't particularly care for Colin Farrell. However, I can't deny that he certainly is entertaining to watch in this film. If nothing else, this movie produced one of the best lines of the year: "If I'd grown up on a farm and was retarded, Bruges might impress me. But I didn't, so it doesn't."

9. Iron Man

Never would I have dreamed that Robert Downey, Jr. would make a comeback. But make a comeback he did with Iron Man. This film truly surprised me. I'll go see almost any superhero movie regardless of quality expectations because I'm a comic book geek, but I honestly wasn't expecting a lot out of Iron Man. How delighted I was to walk out of the theater proven wrong by a film which would end up on my "top ten" list.

8. Gran Torino

What is it about Clint Eastwood that makes him so appealing even in his old age? I don't know, but a well-crafted, if simple, story certainly doesn't hurt. Eastwood proves he's still got what it takes to make a good movie. If Gran Torino is his last film, it's definitely a good one with which to finish.

7. Doubt

It's rare that a film comes out with three superb, Oscar-worthy performances and with Doubt, there is much "doubt" as to whose is the best between Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, and Amy Adams. All three play their roles to perfection, taking us inside a Catholic school in 1964 for an intense "did he or didn't he?" drama.

6. WALL-E

If anything, I believe that WALL-E has proven that animated films can be just as good as live-action films. The story of WALL-E is done well enough that it can produce genuine emotional responses in viewers as well as stand above the plots of much of the tripe I've seen over the years. I've seen a lot of movies. A LOT. In fact, I've seen more films in my 23 years (assuming I started at 4) of movie-watching than many people have seen in their entire lives. WALL-E is easily better than 90% of them. And it's animated. Go figure.

5. The Dark Knight

Well, here we go into the "top five" and what?...another superhero movie? Well, it just so happens that the The Dark Knight is the best superhero movie I've ever seen. Let's go ahead and get one thing out of the way: yes, Heath Ledger is amazing as The Joker. But what's even more amazing is that Christopher Nolan transformed a (pop culturally) dying superhero with Batman Begins and then turned around and made this superhero's next story one of the best films of 2008.

To be sure, The Dark Knight is dark. Very dark. And it should have been rated "R" because of this. I'm not the only one to make this argument; many others have said the same thing, even a Hollywood director. But, dark as it is, and disturbing as The Joker may be, the film is still at a caliber to which all films should aspire, whatever the genre. It's simply THAT good.

4. Frost/Nixon

While one might think that everything that went on behind the scenes of David Frost's post-resignation interview with Richard Nixon would be boring material for a film, Ron Howard does his best to show us that such was not the case. Whether or not things were really as dramatic as Howard makes them out to be, however, I find irrelevant. In terms of storytelling, things have to be dramatic--otherwise, you are left with a boring documentary (not that all documentaries are boring).

Nixon was called "Tricky Dick" for a reason and if the portrayal of him in this film is remotely accurate, the viewer is left seeing why he earned that name. There's no doubting that the man knew what to say, how to say it, when to say it, and how long to say it. Trying to get him in a corner was like trying to nail Jello to the wall. But when David Frost finally buckled down, loaded his guns, and kept relentlessly firing at Nixon in his last interview with him, the nation finally saw the Nixon they wanted to see: the defeated one.

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I won't get into the mixed reviews for this film because understanding all of the issues, especially those voiced by Roger Ebert, would take up far too much space. Instead, I'll just say that with some movies you have to suspend disbelief and allow yourself to be fully immersed in the story. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an example of just such an instance par excellence.

David Fincher does some wonderful things with this film and the CGI used to make Brad Pitt age as well as look younger is simply astounding. For some reason, you can't help but think about your own mortality and the events of your own life after watching this film. And in a sense, I suppose that's kind of the point rather than a strict rendering of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story.

2. Revolutionary Road

The much-heralded reuniting of Kate & Leo has received a tepid response from many critics. They don't doubt the power of the performances in the film; rather, their problem is with the film itself. I'm sure there are some reasons not to like the film, but to me, Revolutionary Road is going to be one of those polarizing "love it or hate it" films.

Some people can't stand "depressing" movies. Some people don't want to watch an on-screen depiction of a married couple with serious, serious problems. Some people don't want to watch people have their lives ripped apart. That's fine. But I'll say this: if ever there was a near-perfect example of the emptiness and hopelessness of life outside of Christ, it would be Revolutionary Road. And sometimes we need to be reminded of just what kind of a life that really would be.

1. Slumdog Millionaire

Wow. Slumdog Millionaire. I never would have guessed that an independent film made in India would walk away with my top favorite movie of the year, but it's really hard not to give Slumdog Millionaire the praise it deserves. Admittedly, its screenplay is not original--it's based off a novel called Q&A. Since I haven't read the novel, I can't make any judgments based upon it. But I can make judgments based upon what I saw portrayed on the screen and what I saw was simply magnificent.

Who would of thought that someone could turn the story of a young Indian man on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? into an engrossing story that captivates the viewer and holds his attention throughout? Not me. And definitely not many film critics either, as they all seemed equally pleasantly surprised by this film. We all knew Danny Boyle had talent back with Trainspotting twelve years ago. There's no denying that. But Slumdog Millionaire is his finest work yet.

Films of 2008 I Viewed:
21
27 Dresses
Australia
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Cloverfield
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
The Duchess
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
Fireproof
Fool's Gold
Frost/Nixon
Get Smart
Gran Torino
In Bruges
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
My Blueberry Nights
Quantum of Solace
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire
Smart People
Speed Racer
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Tropic Thunder
Vantage Point
W.
WALL-E
What Happens in Vegas

Total Time Spent Viewing the Above Films Which Could Have Been Spent Reading Theology: 57 hours, 58 minutes

Total Time Spent Regretting the Decision to View the Above Films Instead of Read Theology: 0 nanoseconds

My Top Five Favorite Video Games of 2008

2008-12-29T13:51:00.001-06:00

Continuing on from my previous "top five" post, it is now time for "my top five favorite video games of 2008." Similar to last year, my "top five favorite films of 2008" list will not appear until sometime in January 2009. This is to allow myself enough time to attempt to finish off the movies of 2008 that I want to see. Again, the rule for each of these lists is that each item of media must have had an original release date in 2008. Now, without further adieu...

Matt's Top Five Favorite Video Games of 2008

5. Grand Theft Auto IV by Rockstar Games, for the Xbox 360

To be honest, I'd rather not get into the issues concerning the content of Grand Theft Auto IV. Yes, in the game you can do some very bad things. Yes, the game is very much the video game equivalent of an R-rated movie. Yes, children can get their hands on this game way too easily. All of that is true and I'm not going to waste my time or yours defending my decision to play the game nor my decision to place it on my "top five" list.

Instead, let me mention the game's massive free-roaming scope, its careful attention to detail, its intricate story, its eclectic blend of real music for listening on the in-game radio stations, its spot-on satirical social commentary, and its ability to make you want just to sit down in front of your television, hop into Liberty City, and do whatever you want through the eyes of an eastern European immigrant. As far as I'm concerned, there have been plenty of games which have billed themselves as "sandbox" titles, but when it gets right down to it, no one has ever done "sandbox" better than Grand Theft Auto IV.

4. Fable II by Microsoft, for the Xbox 360

Peter Molyneux is a video game visionary--that's certainly no secret to anyone who keeps up with video game culture and industry. But when Molyneux said that he wanted to get serious about moral choices with Fable II, he wasn't messing around. I have never encountered a game before which has such precisely defined and far-reaching consequences for one's moral actions within a game. Do you want to be a truly good hero? That's fine, but you'd better be willing to make some pretty hefty sacrifices. Do you want to be a truly evil hero? Well, you can do that, too, but at what cost?

Fable II isn't perfect in the execution of its moral system, but it does a pretty fine job and certainly a better job than any game that has come before it. It's expansive, it's fun, and it's about as free-roaming as you're going to get with a role-playing game (RPG) without stepping into the boundaries of a massively-multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). RPG and non-RPG fans alike owe it to themselves at least to give Fable II a try. If you're like me, you'll play through the game once as good as possible and then once as evil as possible to see just what transpires as the result of your actions.

3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots by Konami, for the Playstation 3

After twenty-something years, the saga of Snake was finally brought to an end with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. I, as well as many other gamers, had doubts about whether or not Hideo Kojima's team would be able to tie up the myriad loose ends they left throughout the series, but somehow they managed to do it. The story is still convoluted, to be sure, but things even I thought would never be addressed were actually taken care of. To top it off, the game is beautiful (especially in HD) and is probably the closest I've ever seen a game come to being a film, yet still an interactive GAME.

If you have a chance, check out the clip below from 1:25 to 5:20, as it's probably one of the more emotionally nuanced parts of the game. Admittedly, it's hard to understand why if you haven't played through Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Still, the context is that Snake (his codename, of course), an elite special ops soldier who has recently succumbed to accelerated aging presumably due to Werner's Syndrome, has been privately hired to assassinate a terrorist codenamed "Liquid." The problem is that the United States military is after Liquid as well and has sent a special ops team headed by Meryl, who coincidentally has a history with Snake, to capture Liquid. At this point in the game, Snake is 42 years old, but his accelerated aging has made his body that of a man in his sixties. He is wearing specially developed electronic face camouflage which makes his face appear younger.

The game's action is intense, its production level is top-notch, and it is entertaining the whole way through. Anyone who owns a Playstation 3 MUST play this game whether familiar with the series or not. It's simply that good.

2. LittleBigPlanet by Sony Computer Entertainment, for the Playstation 3

Most older gamers tend to shy away from games that might be deemed "cutesy." But when a "cutesy" game is as much fun as LittleBigPlanet, you can't help but play it and love it. Comparisons of it to traditional platformers are more-or-less accurate, but where LittleBigPlanet truly differentiates itself is in its jam-packed tools to create your own levels. Never before has there been a video game that encourages you so much to make your own levels for the game, that the user-created levels actually end up being the focus.

I've played through quite a few user-created levels online so far and I must say, some of them are absolutely ingenious and are even better than some of the levels the developers created themselves. I'm still working on creating my first level, but it is time consuming enough at is simply to throw something together. Since I'm a bit more careful and intentional about what I do, I don't foresee my level being completed anytime soon. Another "must-have" for the Playstation 3.

1. Fallout 3 by Bethesda, for the Xbox 360

I don't know what it is about dystopian or apocalyptic themes, but I am naturally drawn to them. Last year, Bioshock, a first-person shooter set in an underwater dystopian city, took my top honor as my favorite game of the year. This year, Fallout 3, an RPG set in an apocalyptic, post-nuclear version of Washington, D.C., is my choice for this year.

Fallout 3 does everything right. It has an engrossing story, the game keeps you interested, it mixes RPG elements with action elements, it is huge, and it simply keeps you coming back for more. Who ever thought that a post-apocalyptic landscape could be so much fun? Like last year's top pick, it even forces you to make important decisions along the way that have far-reaching consequences (not unlike Fable II above, though not as pronounced).

There is very little not to like about Fallout 3. But there is very much not to see. The game is so big, you can literally spend hours upon hours playing it and still not see everything that's out there in the Capitol Wasteland. I'll be playing it well into 2009; that's for sure.

Honorable Mentions: Rock Band 2 by MTV Games, for the Xbox 360; Braid by Jonathan Blow, for the Xbox 360; World of Goo by 2D Boy, for the Wii; Super Smash Bros. Brawl by Nintendo, for the Wii; Chrono Trigger by Square Enix, for the Nintendo DS; and The World Ends with You by Square Enix, for the Nintendo DS

My Top Five Favorite Albums of 2008

2008-12-27T09:44:00.002-06:00

Ah, the end of the year...once Christmas has passed, it's time for everyone to produce their "top" lists of the year! 2008 is no exception for me, so I'll begin with my "Top Five Favorite Albums." As expected, the rule for each of my "top five" lists is that each item of media must have had an original release date in 2008. Now, without further adieu...

Matt's Top Five Favorite Albums of 2008

5. Intimacy by Bloc Party

To be honest, it was difficult to choose this album over any of this year's "honorable mentions." The reason, I think, is because there are some songs on this album that I just do not like at all. However, the songs I do like more than make up for this deficiency and are so good, in my opinion, that they warrant this album's placement on my "top five" list. If Bloc Party could maintain some consistency on their albums, I think they would be a better band than they already are.

4. The Hawk is Howling by Mogwai

Some people cannot stand music without lyrics because they don't see the music as transmitting any kind of message. In the case of Mogwai, however, their musical soundscapes do the talking for them. Some people were hoping this album would be the next Come On Die Young, but I think such expectations are as unrealistic as hoping that any of Radiohead's post-OK Computer albums would be the next OK Computer. Bands evolve musically; let them.

3. Day & Age by The Killers

Speaking of unrealistic expectations, The Killers unfortunately fell victim to hopes that this album would be the next Sam's Town. When people have expectations for an album that aren't met, the reviews are often lackluster and in the case of this year's offering by The Killers, such lackluster reviews were unfounded because Day & Age is a solid album. Sure, it wasn't Sam's Town, but it wasn't supposed to be. I'm interested in hearing how some of the tracks of this album sound live when I see them perform in Grand Prairie on February 4.

2. Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust by Sigur Rós

Last year, Sigur Rós topped my list of favorite albums--this year they are number two. This album is probably their most varied yet--some songs are upbeat and catchy, while others are slow and more subdued. In both cases, they seem to have shed their heavier leanings for lighter fare this time around. I'm always amazed at what Sigur Rós can do and at how their music is able to bring up a wealth of emotions when listening to it. They continue to remain one of my favorite bands.

1. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends by Coldplay

If you know me, this choice as my top favorite album of 2008 should come as no surprise. Coldplay continues to become more and more worthy of bona fide rockstar status with each passing year and as long as they keep putting out albums like Viva la Vida, they will cement themselves as one of the world's most popular rock bands. Some may consider them to be a little too radio-friendly, but that doesn't really bother me. Radio-friendly or not, they make excellent music and that's always something I can appreciate.

Honorable Mentions: The Bedlam in Goliath by The Mars Volta, Dear Science by TV on the Radio, and Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Fox Treads on Thin Ice

2008-12-26T15:37:00.009-06:00

I try not to get worked up about too many things, but the recent legal fiasco between 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers over the rights to the film version of Watchmen has made me and many other Watchmen fans hopping mad. We were already upset that 20th Century Fox apparently waited to come out and claim rights to the film until Warner Brothers had finished making it--doing so seems very advantageous to Fox, since Warner Brothers did Fox's work for them and Fox would be able to work out a settlement in which they receive some sort of compensation for a movie they didn't even make.

But when Judge Feess ruled in Fox's favor on Christmas Eve, the blood temperature of us (yes, "us," not "we") Watchmen fans nearly boiled over. Part of the reason is because we see Fox as slimy, money-grubbing executives who strategically waited to make a legal fuss until they saw that the Watchmen film was finished and highly anticipated. The other part of the reason is because of Tim Rothman, head of Fox, and his idiotic executive cronies who look only at the almighty dollar and throw fanboy sensitivities to the wind. These fine folks are notorious for trimming the running-time of superhero movies, forcing "creative" edits, and even messing with established comic mythology in order to make the films more widely accessible to moviegoing masses. Anyone who has read the glory that is Watchmen knows that if these people wrest control of the film from the hands of its director, Zack Snyder, and work their voodoo on it, it won't even be worth watching.

Given that there is no way (outside of a legal appeal) for Fox not to get anything, what we're all hoping for, of course, is some type of settlement which leaves the movie "as-is," gives Fox whatever monetary compensation to which Judge Feess believes they are entitled, and maintains the film's March 6 release date. Hopefully, all of this will transpire when Judge Feess issues his more comprehensive ruling in January.

If it does not, then in the words of The Comedian himself, "God help us all." (Melodramatic and facetious, I know, but humor me.) Fox has been on thin ice with fanboys for quite some time; if they attempt to mess with a film over which fanboys have been salivating for twenty-plus years, given the irate responses already proliferating throughout message boards, they undoubtedly will fall through and a boycott of X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be only the beginning of their problems.

For a better explanation of all of this than my rant, see the following brief article: http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/12/judge-in-watchm.html#more

The Most Brutal and Most Horrible Thing Ever Said in Survivor History

2008-12-17T12:05:00.007-06:00

I don't know how many of you out there watch Survivor, but during the finale on Sunday night, Corinne made what has to be the most brutal and most horrible comment in Survivor history (and I should know--I've seen all seventeen seasons). I'm posting this not because I found it funny, but because I was pretty shocked that anyone would stoop to such a level, especially in the middle of playing a game, which is what Survivor ultimately is. I do, however, think that Survivor tends to bring out what's truly inside the players; based upon what I've read from the host's blog and what I've seen of Corinne outside of the actual show itself, I think I can safely say that what is depicted below is who she really is.

To give a bit of context, Corinne is voting on whether to give Susie, Bob, or Sugar one million dollars. Susie talked a lot, Bob was just an all-around good guy (he ends up winning), and Sugar was generally quite emotional throughout the show because her father died shortly before she went on the show. The comment in question is to Sugar.

Are You Ready?

2008-12-05T06:50:00.005-06:00

I know I am!!!

Last Night's Coldplay Concert

2008-11-20T18:21:00.006-06:00

Not much to say except that it was one of the best concerts I've ever been to! Oh, and check out the bottom-right corner of this picture. ;-)

Here was last night's setlist:
Life In Technicolor
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Speed Of Sound
Cemeteries Of London
Chinese Sleep Chant
42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno medley)
Talk (techno medley)
The Hardest Part (Chris - piano instrumental)
Postcards From Far Away (Chris - piano instrumental)
Viva La Vida
Lost!
The Scientist (acoustic)
Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic - Will singing)
Viva La Vida (techno remix interlude)
------
Politik
Lovers In Japan
Death And All His Friends
-------
Yellow
The Escapist (outro)

I Haven't Posted in a While...

2008-10-27T15:35:00.001-05:00

...so here you go. This was a nice reminder of why I like Arcade Fire so much.

Fringe

2008-09-18T09:53:00.002-05:00

Has anyone been watching Fringe? If so, what do you think about it? I wouldn't compare it to LOST or anything, but I think it stands on its own fairly well. Should we consider it the next X-Files?

The Top Five "Album Enders"

2008-09-04T13:43:00.001-05:00

A while back, Madison Grace and I were talking about great "album enders," that is, songs which not only seem to end certain music albums perfectly, but are also awesome songs in and of themselves. In light of that conversation, I have decided to list my top five album enders. I'm sure your lists will differ, but feel free to let me know what you think of my list. With each of these YouTube videos, only the song itself is meant to be focused upon rather than the music video, live performance, tribute, etc.

5. "Something in the Way" by Nirvana
From the album Nevermind

4. "Only in Dreams" by Weezer
From the album: Weezer (Blue Album)

3. "Videotape" by Radiohead
From the album: In Rainbows

2. "Knights of Cydonia" by Muse
From the album: Black Holes and Revelations

1. "Untitled #8" by Sigur Rós
From the album: ()
(Note that this song is so long, I have posted only the second half of it)

Spaghetti Cat

2008-08-31T14:54:00.000-05:00

No need to elaborate.

Rereading Watchmen

2008-08-14T21:12:00.012-05:00

This evening, I just completed my fourth reading of Alan Moore's Watchmen and I must say, it makes me both excited as well as disconcerted about the upcoming film adaptation.

In one sense, I am excited to see Watchmen finally make its way to the big screen because I love superb writing and I love watching good films. However, in another sense I know that, as is the case with many novels, there is no way that a two to two-and-a-half hour film can completely do the novel the justice it deserves--there's just no way, as the novel itself is simply too dense.

But, that won't stop me from going to see the film! I'm sure it will be entertaining. And I'm sure it will be rated "R." The last time I read Watchmen was roughly five years ago in 2003 and I've gotta say, even in that short a time period, I had forgotten just how mature the material was.

There's an interesting line to walk when it comes to the depiction of what we typically consider "R"-rated material (I will discuss this in an upcoming, promised post about the MPAA)--sometimes it is necessary to the story itself and in the case of Watchmen, I would say that is the case for the majority of its "objectionable" material. Truth be told, however, the only true way for anyone to determine whether or not he should watch the film adaptation when it comes out (in terms of personal conviction, personal standards, etc.) is to read the graphic novel prior. There's simply no getting around it.

But, I suppose that's all the better. I definitely advise against anyone going to see the film in March who has not already read the graphic novel simply due to the complexity of the novel itself. Concerning its complexity, I think many out there are actually quite ignorant to the way that Watchmen revolutionized popular fiction in literature, television, and movies. Just as a brief example, in reading it again after four seasons of LOST, its influence on the producers and creators of LOST is easily recognized (Damon Lindelof having said as much himself).

Of course, the critical reception for Watchmen has always been outstanding:

Besides being nearly universally praised by critics upon its original release, back in 2005 TIME magazine presented a list of "The 100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to the Present," with Watchmen being the only graphic novel on the list: http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/0,24459,watchmen,00.html. And for all of you LOST-ies out there, this is from Entertainment Weekly nearly three years ago:

Citizen Kane. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Sopranos. Watchmen. Of this list, the following can be said: (1) Each is a masterwork representing the apex of artistry in its respective medium; (2) you might have no idea what Watchmen is.
Except that in our superhero-saturated, cult-pop moment, Watchmen's fingerprints are everywhere. On Lost. On author Neil Gaiman and Buffy the Vampire Slayer auteur Joss Whedon. On almost every comic book published since 1986. Yes, Watchmen is a comic book. But for many honest-to-Betsy not-crazy people, it is much more. "Watchmen," declares Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof, "is the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced."

Or, at least, just plain great. First published in 12 installments by DC Comics in 1986-87, Watchmen is considered the first "adult" (meaning sophisticated, not naughty) superhero comic. It is the signature work of English writer Alan Moore, whose trailblazing oeuvre also includes the movie-friendly V for Vendetta, From Hell, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Produced in close collaboration with artist Dave Gibbons, Moore's saga concerns Rorschach, a demented vigilante with a morphing inkblot mask who investigates the murder of a mystery man named the Comedian--though that might be the skimpiest summary ever of a comic book that's also an intricate conspiracy thriller, a radical deconstruction of superhero archetypes, a furious allegory of Cold War anxiety, and a tour de force of narrative technique. Says Whedon: "Watchmen took the history of comics and used it as a template for examining the human condition in a way no one had seen before."

But enough of my rambling and attempts to convince. Go out there and read it. Or don't. If you do choose to read it, however, I sincerely doubt you will be disappointed.

I Need Scissors!

2008-08-01T16:18:00.002-05:00

Regardless of the fact that it comes from a videogame, here's one of the greatest lines of all-time.

Watchmen

2008-07-24T21:25:00.003-05:00

Hopefully you've already read what is unquestionably the greatest graphic novel of all-time, Alan Moore's 1986-87 magnum opus, Watchmen. If you have not, I would suggest doing so prior to the release of the upcoming film adaptation on March 6, 2009.

You probably saw the trailer for the film if you recently watched the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight. If you have not watched the trailer for Watchmen yet or wish to view it again, this, my friend, is for you. Yes, I'm pretty stoked. :-)

Because Everyone Needs Some Russian Rap For The Day...

2008-07-23T17:22:00.003-05:00

...here's Seryoga with "King Ring." Enjoy! :-)

Why My Jobs in High School Never Lasted Long

2008-07-18T21:03:00.002-05:00

Extreme sarcasm and sardonic wit, while entertaining, do not lend themselves well to long-term employment.

Junk Mail That Knows It's Junk Mail

2008-07-12T23:59:00.000-05:00

O, the absurdities of life...

Sigur Rós's New Album...

2008-07-09T15:16:00.003-05:00

...is amazing. I just finished listening to it all the way through for the seventh time and I'm pretty sure I like it more and more each time I listen to it. This makes me all the more excited to see and hear some of these songs performed live when I go see them in September at the Chicago Theatre! If you haven't heard the new album yet, go give it a listen:

með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly)

WARNING: The cover art of the album which is displayed on the above-linked page features naked posteriors as nude people scramble across a highway. If you might be offended at that sort of thing, consider yourself sufficiently cautioned.

Controversial Question #2

2008-07-04T11:08:00.003-05:00

Happy Independence Day, my fellow Americans! In honor of today's celebration, I now present to you my second controversial question. Enjoy.

DISCLAIMER (to those to whom I must always disclaim things): Please keep the following in mind. The posting of this question in no way expressly indicates or otherwise implies the opinion of the author of this blog regarding the issue represented in the question. Because by the simple posting of this question the reader does not possess enough information to determine adequately the opinion of the author regarding the question, the author of this blog is hereby absolved of any responsibility whatsoever as to how this question is interpreted by the reader. Any conclusion about the author's opinion reached by the reader that does not adequately take into consideration what is expressly stated in this disclaimer is thereby rendered entirely without merit and erroneous.

Controversial Question #2: Did the American revolutionaries in the colonies violate Romans 13:1-6 when they revolted and took up arms against English rule? And as a necessary corollary: should colonial Christians have supported the Revolution?

Grammie

2008-06-30T20:34:00.003-05:00

As I'm sure many of you know, my grandmother, Patricia Pledger, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, June 21. I'm not really sure exactly how to acknowledge that fact here on the blog, as I'm not intending this post to be a eulogy or anything. But, I didn't want to continue with posts on the blog as if nothing ever happened, either.

Therefore, I suppose I've settled on simply wanting to say how proud I am to have been Grammie's grandson. In terms of personal strength, she is probably the strongest person I've ever known and the legacy that she has left in my life will forever influence me. I look forward to the day when I begin to experience eternity together with her.

Controversial Question #1

2008-06-27T10:10:00.002-05:00

I know that several posts ago, I promised that one of my upcoming posts would be a surprise. Well, it's time to make good on that promise and even exceed it, as the surprise post actually begins a series of posts. I've decided that just for the sake of causing people to expend mental energy, I'm going to start asking some "controversial" questions and not provide any answers or opinions to them. I'm simply going to present the quandaries to you, my ~~two~~ dear readers, and then let you make the judgments for yourselves.

However, seeing as how I am delving into some potentially dangerous territory (what else is new?) and seeing as how I have a vested interest in insulating myself from the ~~Gestapo~~ "powers that be," it's time for a classic disclaimer before I begin with my first question.

DISCLAIMER (to those to whom I must always disclaim things): Please keep the following in mind. The posting of this question in no way expressly indicates or otherwise implies the opinion of the author of this blog regarding the issue represented in the question. Because by the simple posting of this question the reader does not possess enough information to determine adequately the opinion of the author regarding the question, the author of this blog is hereby absolved of any responsibility whatsoever as to how this question is interpreted by the reader. Any conclusion about the author's opinion reached by the reader that does not adequately take into consideration what is expressly stated in this disclaimer is thereby rendered entirely without merit and erroneous.

Controversial Question #1: In the current alcohol debate in the SBC between those on the side of moderation and those on the side of abstention, why is it that abstentionists will make the argument against financially supporting an industry that "ruins millions of lives per year," yet they will also regularly financially support the Hollywood industry by taking their families to see films at the theater, rent movies, purchase movies, etc., when one can argue forcefully that the garbage produced by Hollywood subversively ruins many more lives per year than alcohol, though mentally and spiritually?

Folding@Home

2008-06-19T13:10:00.001-05:00

Do you Fold@Home? You should.

Stanford University's Folding@Home project

My Folding@Home stats

Bethesda's Cooking Up a Good One!

2008-06-06T21:19:00.001-05:00

Sold-Out in Six Minutes...

2008-06-06T12:13:00.005-05:00

...but I got one. (The MSRP was not $899) Here's to fast fingers and saved-up cash!

Anyone for a Ph.D. in Buffyology?

2008-06-06T11:48:00.002-05:00

As a longtime fan of the television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I've always maintained that it was one of the most intelligently written television shows ever. Apparently many are in agreement with me, as countless academic papers have been written about the show and presented at symposiums dedicated to the study of Buffy. I was unaware of such academic attention...until now. :-)

The LOST Season Finale

2008-06-01T14:48:00.006-05:00

WARNING: LOST spoilers ahead!

So, what did everyone think about the finale? I'm not going to make a lengthy post about it or anything, but I've gotta say that I loved the fact that the secret moments near the end of the episode which the producers had code-named "the frozen donkey wheel" did, in fact, feature a frozen donkey wheel. I love their sense of humor!

Great episode and a great way to end a great season. What more could a LOST fan ask for other than for the next season to begin immediately?

"There There" and "The National Anthem"

2008-05-20T09:06:00.006-05:00

Here are some videos a couple of folks took of Radiohead playing "There There" and "The National Anthem" at Sunday night's concert. Gotta love the view of the stage I shared with these gentlemen in the pit!

(And yes, my pictures are forthcoming and will be posted in the previous post)

Last Night's Radiohead Concert

2008-05-19T09:21:00.004-05:00

EDIT: Well, I've finally gotten around to uploading some pics from the concert. Enjoy.

All I can say is, "wow." I mean, there is nothing that could have possibly made the awesome setlist any better--there were lots of wonderful surprises. Here's the setlist.

1. All I Need
2. There There
3. 15 Step
4. Bangers & Mash
5. Nude
6. Pyramid Song
7. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
8. The National Anthem
9. Dollars & Cents
10. Faust Arp
11. Videotape
12. A Wolf at the Door
13. Optimistic
14. Reckoner
15. Everything in Its Right Place
16. Idioteque
17. Bodysnatchers

Encore 1
18. Fake Plastic Trees
19. Jigsaw Falling into Place
20. House of Cards
21. Exit Music (For a Film)
22. The Bends

Encore 2
23. You and Whose Army?
24. Paranoid Android

Again, "wow."

Posts Down the Pipeline

2008-05-14T19:56:00.003-05:00

I realize that it has been a long time since I've posted anything. That is primarily due to the end of the semester crunch with which we students are all too familiar. However, now that the summer is upon us, the amount of time I have to waste on blogging has increased, so I should be able to post more often for now. :-)

Consequently, I've decided to make this post a means of providing my ~~faithful~~ two readers with a list of what blog posts might be coming down the pipeline (no guarantees). Please note that the order presented here may or may not be the order in which the posts are actually posted. Also please note that many of these posts may not be anything of substance at all. :-)

1. A list of my top ten Radiohead songs
2. A list of the top ten concerts I've been to
3. A post on how to evaluate the objectionable content of a movie prior to viewing it
4. A reworked list of my top ten favorite video games
5. A post on the proper relationship between Christianity and popular culture
6. A reworked list of subscriptions a pastor needs to have
7. A surprise

There ya go. Not much substance, but oh, well. Most things of substance posted on blogs go unread anyway.

Talk About Critical Acclaim...

2008-04-27T13:01:00.000-05:00

Wow.

How Do You Know a Game Is Going to Be Big?

2008-04-23T22:19:00.005-05:00

I'd say three building-sized banners in Los Angeles are pretty good indicators...

...along with a hand-painted mural on the side of a building in New York City.

I suppose when a videogame is expected to rake in $400 million in sales in its first week alone (yes, you read that correctly), you can afford such ~~theatrics~~ advertisements.

Here comes Tuesday...

Videotape

2008-04-17T07:07:00.000-05:00

Can this song really be described in words? I'm not sure it can.

"Videotape" by Radiohead

Buy This Movie!

2008-04-12T09:22:00.005-05:00

Or if you can't buy it, at least rent it. Yes, the best film of 2007, There Will Be Blood, was released on DVD on Tuesday. I should have posted this then, but I was too busy picking up my own copy at Best Buy. :-)

And for your viewing pleasure, here is the trailer once more:

Tonight...

2008-04-08T06:01:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty excited about tonight's concert. And yes, I am aware that some of you think that I listen to weird music. The Mars Volta is a prog rock band, though, so cut them some slack. :-)

On the List of Bands I've Yet to See Live But Want To...

2008-04-05T23:11:00.000-05:00

...I'm pretty sure Daft Punk has just moved to the top of the list.

Tagged

2008-03-31T22:17:00.006-05:00

I have been tagged by Clint and like him, I don't normally participate in these sorts of things, but since it was he who asked me, I suppose I will. So, here we go...

Where was I ten years ago? I was a junior in high school in Danville, Arkansas. My days were spent plowing through homework as quickly as possible so that I could have fun. I've been told that I lived in a self-induced fantasy world back then. I probably still do to a certain extent. :-)

Things on my to-do-list today: Although the day is almost finished, I still need to finish up my Latin translation homework, read some of Experiences in Theology by Jürgen Moltmann, and then sleep.

What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire? I would give generously to my church here in Fort Worth as well as my home church in Danville, then I would give to some Christian charitable causes designed to ease world hunger. I'd buy a new car to replace my seven year-old Camry, buy some cool electronic gadgetry, buy my wife whatever she wanted, and do lots of world traveling with her and the kids. Everything else would go into the bank to benefit from the joyous magic of compounding interest (time to break out my future value equations from business finance again).

3 of my bad habits:

1. Procrastination
2. I tend to think I'm right more often than I really am
3. I have little toleration for personal failure of any kind

5 jobs I've had:

1. Painter
2. Computer engineer (as in I built computers from nothing but parts)
3. Bank teller (in the safe I once held a shrink-wrapped cube from the Federal Reserve containing $250,000 in paper currency!)
4. Intern
5. Grader

5 things you (probably) don't know about me:

1. I went skydiving once and I'd like to go again (and again, etc.), but I am forbidden from it until the kids are in college.

2. I have dislocated my left elbow seven times, broken my left wrist, broken my left arm, broken my right collarbone, and broken my right ankle, all from separate incidents. Some of it has been due to being accident-prone, some due to simple misfortune, and some due to my own stupidity on a four-wheeler in fifth gear.

3. I am a member of Mensa, a society whose only qualification for membership is a score in the top two percent of the general population on a standardized intelligence test. Whether or not you place any value in that is your call.

4. My first true driving experience was as a twelve year-old. My dad and I were up on a mountain when we high-centered the truck on a pesky U.S. Forest Service mound designed to keep vehicles from proceeding. :-) We walked all the way down the mountain on the only overgrown road to the backside of the farm, hopped in the tractor, drove the tractor back up the mountain, pulled the truck off of the mound and then realized that one of us would have to drive the tractor back down the mountain and the other, the truck. I had never driven before--talk about throwing someone into the deep end! Thankfully, no wrecks and no truck damage resulted.

5. If I were to tally up the total amount of hours I have spent playing video games only from the Final Fantasy main series (i.e., every single game from the series), the total would be over 1,000 hours. Some of you might consider that a waste. Final Fantasy fans know much, much better.

I'm not going to tag anyone. If you read this and feel like doing it yourself, go for it.

One Month Away...

2008-03-29T08:18:00.002-05:00

Yes, on April 29, Grand Theft Auto IV makes its grand entrance on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Considering that I have beaten Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto Mission Pack #1: London, 1969, and Grand Theft Auto 2, and achieved 100% completion of Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, you might say I'm a little excited. :-)

Songs for a Funeral

2008-03-17T13:09:00.005-05:00

I know that some of you may think this is a bit morbid, but this post consists of songs that I would like sung, performed, or played at my funeral. It may sound crazy, but this is something I've thought about since high school and I've never sat down and produced a list for those to whom I am closest to use in the event of my death. And while I don't anticipate dying anytime soon (if the Lord wills it), I nevertheless thought it might be a good idea to formulate a list which can be updated as necessary.

Hymns to be Sung Corporately:
1. "Victory in Jesus"
2. "And Can It Be That I Should Gain?"
3. "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"
4. "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" (Diadem tune)

Instrumental Songs to be Performed:
1. "Let Down" by Radiohead, as arranged for the piano by Christopher O'Riley

Pre-Recorded Songs to be Played:
(Note that these videos would not be played, but just the songs themselves)

1. A three-way tie between "Untitled #1," "Sæglópur," and "Salka" by Sigur Rós (I haven't decided which one yet)

"Untitled #1"

"Sæglópur"

"Salka"

2. "To Zanarkand" by Nobuo Uematsu, from the soundtrack to Final Fantasy X

3. "The Grey Havens" by Howard Shore, from the soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Now, feel free to tell me how weird I am. I can take it. ;-)

Where Was I Saturday Night?

2008-03-10T16:06:00.004-05:00

Well, I decided I would follow the precedent of last week and do another post of where I was on Saturday. On Saturday, March 8, I was at the House of Blues in downtown Dallas to see the Dropkick Murphys perform live. I've been listening to DKM since high school and have never had the opportunity to see them perform live, so when I heard they were coming to Dallas I knew I'd have to be there!

Here's an interesting anecdotal side-note: Two bands performed before Dropkick Murphys (both were not that good, so I don't remember their names). I used these two performances to try to gauge what the boundaries of the mosh pit would be so that I could make sure I was outside of it when DKM hit the stage. Right before DKM came out, I was sure I was right where I needed to be.

Well, it turns out that I was right in the middle of the new mosh pit. As soon as DKM started playing their first song, the immediate area around me immediately turned into a mosh pit so big that it nearly enveloped the entire floor area of the House of Blues.

So, what's an intentional non-mosher to do? Well, mosh. Now, I know what you're thinking: you're wondering why I couldn't just walk out of the mosh pit to a more stable area of the floor. But if you're wondering that, you don't understand mosh pits. If I were to try to walk my way out of there I would have ended up on the floor. Moreover, mosh pits are exercises in self-defense; if you're not moshing along with everyone else, you're liable to get hurt. (Hey, don't blame me--I didn't invent moshing)

So, yeah, I moshed my way right out of the pit. For those of you who think it would have been funny to see me do this, I'll admit that it probably would have been funny. Interestingly, as I was moshing my way out of there so I could enjoy the concert from a peaceful standing position, I had vivid recollections of my moshing days. Yes, friends, there was a time where I would have gladly jumped in there and thrown some 'bows, but not now. For some reason, fat lips and bruises don't really appeal to me anymore.

Just thought I'd share that. Below is a video of one of their best songs. The video is not from Saturday's concert, but compiled from some previous concerts of theirs. If you're wondering about the genre that Dropkick Murphys fall into so you can decide whether to watch or not, they are Celtic punk. What's Celtic punk? Well, it's punk music with Celtic elements. ;-) Oh, just go ahead and give 'em a viewing and a listen, will ya?

Where Was I Last Saturday Night?

2008-03-04T11:54:00.005-06:00

Why, in Chicago, of course!

(This pertains to the post below about Nobuo Uematsu as well)

Check Out This Blog!

2008-03-04T11:11:00.000-06:00

Hey, you all should check out this new blog by some good friends of mine. It's called "Just One Book" and looks like it is going to be a good one to read regularly. Click below:

http://theresjustonebook.blogspot.com

The Correlation Between Brett Favre's Retirement and Formal Education

2008-03-04T10:10:00.000-06:00

As you probably already know, Brett Favre announced his retirement from the NFL today. In an interview, he had the following to say:

"I know I can still play, but it's like I told my wife, I'm just tired mentally. I'm just tired."

Wait, was Brett Favre a NFL player or a Ph.D. student?

"No Time for Love, Dr. Jones!"

2008-03-03T19:50:00.002-06:00

Is anyone else as excited about this as I?

After Twenty-One Years of Playing Video Games...

2008-03-02T18:41:00.006-06:00

...I can definitely say that the time spent has been worth it.

Thank you, Uematsu-san, not only for composing the best video game music in the world, but also for providing me with such wonderful memories that extend from my childhood to the present day.

For more on the man, click here.

Oscar Predictions Realized

2008-02-25T19:07:00.000-06:00

As you probably know, the 80th Annual Academy Awards were held last night. So, what is the status of my predictions?

No Country for Old Men will win the Oscar for "Best Picture"--CORRECT

Daniel Day-Lewis will win the Oscar for "Best Actor"--CORRECT

In the words of Napoleon Dynamite, "Yessssssssssssssssssssssss!"

Where Are You, Tuesday?

2008-02-21T13:04:00.001-06:00

As soon as I've beaten it next week, I will be sure to report details to all interested parties.

Why Repost This Trailer?

2008-02-20T11:58:00.000-06:00

Because the film is just that good; that's why.

A Modified Oscar Prediction

2008-02-18T07:07:00.000-06:00

In a previous post, I predicted that Atonement would win the Academy Award for "Best Picture." In light of developments since that time, I'm going to modify my prediction to the following:

There Will Be Blood SHOULD win the Oscar for "Best Picture."
No Country for Old Men WILL win the Oscar for "Best Picture."

I still stand by my prediction that Daniel Day-Lewis will win the Oscar for "Best Actor." This year, he is unbeatable.

I Secured Radiohead Tickets!

2008-02-17T18:36:00.002-06:00

I don't know how, but I did it! I was up all night long on Wed./Thur. night waiting for the ticket pre-sale to begin and at 7:53 AM Thursday, I secured my pit tickets for Radiohead within the one minute that transpired before they sold out. Yes, one minute!

I'm pretty excited, as this means I won't have to pay $350 for one pit ticket on eBay. Woo-hoo!

The ACL Groundsquirrel Has Emerged...

2008-02-02T09:16:00.000-06:00

Advance tickets for this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival (Sept. 26-28, 2008) are now on sale. If interested, get them while you can because they will go quickly!

UPDATE: Unsurprisingly, the advance tickets sold-out in 48 hours. Full-priced tickets are available, however, if you are still interested.

http://www.aclfestival.com/tickets.aspx

What the Author of This Blog Thinks About the First Person

2008-02-01T13:23:00.000-06:00

The author of this blog thinks that the prohibition on the use of the first person in academic writing is overstated and unnecessary.

We all know that to which I refer, do we not? If you have been a college student, master's level student, or doctoral student, you have invariably been told that you do not use the first person when you pen works of an academic nature. Supposedly, using the first person in academic writings is a big, bad no-no because it does a couple of things.

For one, using the first person allegedly focuses the reader's attention on the author of the paper rather than the substantive argument the author hopefully is making. Secondly, using the first person makes the author of the paper seem amateurish: if I am writing an essay on quantum cosmology (always a crowd-pleaser) and I throw a whole bunch of "I"s in there, my credibility is immediately diminished and I should not be taken seriously. I'm sure there are some out there who have come up with other reasons, but it is my guess that any reasons other than the two I have mentioned are merely derivations in some form of the above two.

So, let's address these, shall we? Responding to the argument that using the first person in academic writing focuses the attention of the reader on the author, I will affirm that it does indeed do so in some respect. Nevertheless, slapping one's name on a paper he or she has written does the exact same thing. It is a mistake to think that the use of the first person produces unnecessary attention on the author when it is clear that attention is already on the author before the first words of the work are even read.

Sure, one can make an argument against what I have said by saying that when grading student papers, he or she does not look at the names of students so as to avoid as much bias in grading as possible. Fair enough for that scenario. But, when we jump into the academic arena, no professor is going to go through his library, cover up the names of all the authors of his books, then pick one up and read it with some sort of mythical, mental tabula rasa. It could very well be, in fact, that the professor buys a book by a specific author and reads it for the very reason that it was written by that particular author.

Moreover, sometimes attention does need to be focused on the author. Sometimes the author needs to be assertive. What if the author needs to separate himself and his ideas from other works that are germane to his discussion? What if the author needs to use the first person for the sake of clarity? Let's all be honest and admit that when one says, "the author of this paper" in an academic paper, the following is true:

1. The reason the person has said, "the author of this paper," is because the discussion necessitates self-reference in some way.
2. The phrase, "the author of this paper," is ridiculously cumbersome and redundant; in fact, it hurts the style and clarity of the sentence in which it appears.

I am amenable to the fact that too much unwarranted attention can be placed on the author of an academic work if he or she is not careful. But does this necessitate a blanket prohibition on the use of the first person? No.

The second objection to the use of the first person (that it makes the author seem amateurish) stems, I think, from the probable abuse of the first person by high school, college, and (*shudder*) graduate students. I will admit that if you give high schoolers and college kids free reign over the first person, they will go wild with it--you'll undoubtedly receive mounds and mounds of papers that have more "I"s than Argus Panoptes. But, again, does the abuse by some necessitate a blanket prohibition on all? No, it does not.

What about the argument about sounding amateurish, specifically? I personally do not believe it holds water. I have read plenty of articles written by those in the scientific community as well as plenty of articles written by modern-day philosophers and the use of "I" in these writings certainly does not make the authors sound like amateurs. When Alvin Plantinga says in an article, "In arguing that belief in God is properly basic, I meant to rebut the claim made by the evidentialist objector: the claim that the theist who has no evidence for theism is in some way irrational," does he sound like an amateur? Of course not. In my opinion, the people out there who sound like amateurs are the ones making the argument that the use of the first person in academic writing is amateurish. But that's another matter entirely. :-)

Let's now jump to a brief personal anecdote as we approach the end of this post. In a doctoral research seminar, after I presented my research paper, one of my peers pointed out the fact that I occasionally used the first person within my paper. He asked the two professors in the room whether or not this was permissible because he had always been told that it was not (no doubt from the community to which I have referred above). Professor #1 stated that he was unsure about current academic practices and standards and thus deferred the question to Professor #2. Professor #2 stated that he "would never dare do that" in an academic paper for a doctoral seminar or a dissertation, let alone in an article for journal publication. I was tempted to respectfully disagree and voice my opinion in that moment, but then I remembered what happened the time I challenged Professor #1's archaic grammatical rule about splitting infinitives (pun intended in this sentence, of course): Professor #1 was unwilling to budge.

I use this to illustrate that arguing against someone's prohibition of the use of the first person in academic writing is more-or-less a lost cause, just as arguing against someone's prohibition of the split infinitive is. Such beliefs are simply too entrenched in academic circles thanks to our friend, institutio. I know that this post is probably not going to change the minds of the Professor #2s out there, but that's not the point of the post.

The point of the post is to provide justification for my use of the first person in academic writing. I will be quite frank here--the style manuals can say all they want on the matter (if they indeed say anything at all) and professors can say all they want on the matter (even threatening markdowns in grades), but in the end, my papers will sometimes contain the use of the first person because sometimes the use of the first person is necessary.

So, who is right? I leave it to the readers of this post to decide which side to take if they prefer to take a side. But is the author of this post right in his position? Well, I certainly think so. :-)

The Oscar Nominees Were Announced Today...

2008-01-22T16:52:00.000-06:00

...and some of my earlier predictions may indeed come true on February 24.

Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated for "Best Actor," Atonement is nominated for "Best Picture," and evidently the Academy saw the same thing I saw in Casey Affleck, nominating him for "Best Supporting Actor."

To boot, I have already seen four of the five films nominated for "Best Picture," so either I have great taste in movies or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has very poor taste. I'll leave it up to you to decide which. ;-)

For the curious, the nominees for "Best Picture" are:
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

I'm not sure I'd place Juno in the list for "Best Picture," but I think it was a token nod from the Academy to "the little indie comedy that could." Still, it was good enough to warrant an "honorable mention" on my list of the top five films of 2007. As for Michael Clayton, I'll probably see it eventually even though George Clooney is a bit too political for my tastes. I'm not a dolt and from what I've seen of Michael Clayton trailer-wise, Clooney's gotta be pushing some kind of agenda with this film.

The Bass Hall Showdown

2008-01-19T10:11:00.000-06:00

Vs.

Who ya got?

http://www.fwso.org/fwso0304/pages/c_0708play.asp
http://www.swbts.edu/gala2008/tickets.html

The Films of 2007

2008-01-16T09:02:00.000-06:00

There has been some inquiry from some concerning from which films of 2007 I chose my top five. Here is the list of all of the theatrically-released films of 2007 I have seen:

(in alphabetical order)
300
American Gangster
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
Becoming Jane
The Bourne Ultimatum
Breach
Charlie Wilson's War
The Darjeeling Limited
I Am Legend
Juno
No Country for Old Men
Ocean’s Thirteen
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie
Smokin’ Aces
Spider-Man 3
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood
Transformers

My Top Five Films of 2007

2008-01-07T13:11:00.001-06:00

You've waited, I've contemplated, and now it is time for "my top five films of 2007." Again, the rule for each of my "top five" lists is that each item of media must have had an original release date in 2007. However, before we get into this list, a brief excursus would be beneficial.

EXCURSUS ON THE VIEWING OF "R"-RATED MOVIES:

If one were to do a little research on the films within this list, he or she would discover that four out of the five are films which have been given the rating "R - Restricted" by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This, then, could quite naturally lead to the questioning of whether it is appropriate for a believer to view R-rated movies. As the reader is probably no doubt aware, some believers choose (based upon personal convictions) to avoid viewing any R-rated movies whatsoever.

The difference between such believers and myself is quite simple: they are willing to let the arbitrary and often politically motivated decisions of a group of (presumably) unbelievers determine whether or not they will see certain movies, while I will not allow such decisions to determine what films I see. Some, I'm sure, will probably disagree with my characterization of the MPAA and attempt to laud it as "not perfect, but the best barometer we have." Unfortunately, those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are arbitrary obviously have not seen enough films and those who don't believe that the MPAA's decisions in rating movies are often politically motivated are woefully mired in a naiveté concerning the way Hollywood operates. The reality is not only that some PG-13 movies should be R and some R movies should be PG-13, but also that money and corporate "back-scratching" go a very long way in determining a movie's rating.

Because of these circumstances, I simply do not allow the MPAA to determine whether or not I see a film; I let God determine that. There is certainly much to be praised about researching a film's content before viewing it. I personally always do so in order to fully educate myself about the film and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct me in whether or not it is appropriate viewing. Where do I do my film research? That is the subject of a forthcoming post.

My point in saying all of this is that if you use the MPAA to determine whether or not you see a film, while I believe you are misguided, such a practice is certainly your prerogative. But, please do not assume that my viewing of certain R-rated films is an accurate measuring stick to determine my level of spiritual maturity; likewise, please do not assume that my viewing of any R-rated film necessarily constitutes my endorsement of the film for viewing by every Christian. And with that, it is now time for one of my famous disclaimers...

DISCLAIMER (to those to whom I must always disclaim things): Please keep the following in mind. The posting of this list of "top five films of 2007" in no way expressly indicates or otherwise implies that the author of this blog endorses in any way the actual films themselves or the characters, the dialogue, the actions, the theological implications, and the profanities/obscenities that are portrayed therein. Because both art and film as an art form are highly interpretive and subjective in nature, the author of this blog is hereby absolved of any responsibility whatsoever as to how these films or their contents are interpreted by the viewer/reader. Any conclusion (about the films themselves or the author's decision to declare them as his favorites of the year) reached by the viewer/reader that does not adequately take into consideration what is expressly stated in this disclaimer is thereby rendered entirely without merit and erroneous.

Now, on to the show.

Matt's Top Five Films of 2007

5. The Bourne Ultimatum

Let's start with a good 'ol summer popcorn flick. To be perfectly honest, such films, while fun, often do not make it into my list of top movies of the year. But, The Bourne Ultimatum was simply too good not to be included on this year's list.

If you've read Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne trilogy and have seen the films, you already know that they are vastly different than the books. This is both good and bad. On the one hand, it's good because those of us who are Bourne veterans didn't know exactly what to expect when it came to the films; they were able to keep us guessing to a certain degree. On the other hand, it's bad because the story presented in the novels is vastly superior to the story presented in the films.

That's not to say that the story in the film trilogy is bad, because it is actually quite good. And this third (and presumably final) Jason Bourne film certainly delivers the goods when it comes to spy action and drama, as it is the best of the three. With such in-your-face action and edge-of-your-seat suspense, perhaps it is a moot point even to argue that the books are superior: anyone who walked into The Bourne Ultimatum this summer knew exactly what he or she was paying to see on screen.

4. Atonement

This film surprised me this year because it was not until close to its release date that I even became aware of its existence. I'm glad I did, however. A period drama that mostly takes place during the World War II-era, Atonement is hard to explain in writing simply because the plot is quite involved and difficult to summarize without giving too much away. What starts as a jealous thirteen-year-old girl's lie quickly escalates into severe, life-changing repercussions not only for her, but for many of those around her. The title for the movie comes from the fact that part of the movie concerns her attempts to atone for what her lie cost those closest to her. Though I honestly can't say any more about the plot than this or I will give away important plot details, I will say that what the movie does with the story it does brilliantly (as in the novel upon which the film is based).

Atonement recently received more Golden Globe Award nominations than any other film this year and for good reason--it's a fine movie. If you choose to watch it, keep an eye out for a war-torn beach scene. If you pay close enough attention, you'll notice that it is one five and a half minute-long, continual shot with no edits at all. That's some incredible cinematography.

Equally incredible are the performances. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy both play believable lovers and provide cinematic performances which cause you to forget about the actors behind their characters as you get lost in the story. That's usually a sign of good acting and in this case it certainly holds true.

If I had to choose a movie that I believe will win the "Best Picture" Oscar for 2007, this is it. My choice is not because I believe it is the best film of the year (after all, there are three movies below I found better); it is because I believe it is what Oscar voters will choose as the best film of the year. Come March, we'll see if I'm right.

3. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

I'd been waiting for this one a long time after I heard about it being produced. My wait finally came to an end this fall and I was not disappointed with the result. There are many people out there (film critics, especially) who found this film boring. The problem with such an assessment is that they came into it expecting something other than what they got, which is almost always disappointing.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is not an action western. It is a poignant drama and what I would call, "a thinking man's western." The point of the film is not Jesse James running around robbing lots of trains, killing lots of folks, and being an all-around cowboy macho man outlaw. The point is his death at the hands of Robert Ford, one of his own associates, and the events leading up to his demise. You can watch it and call it boring if you want, but the fact of the matter is that the film was never intended to be an action movie.

Brad Pitt's performance as Jesse James is solid, but the real star of the show is Casey Affleck as Robert Ford. This was his breakout performance, in my opinion, and one that has forever removed him from the stigma of just being "Ben Affleck's little brother." His performance is captivating and he really causes you to deeply examine the character he portrays: why did Robert Ford kill Jesse James? Was he reluctant to do so or did he have the desire all along? Was he wanting James's infamy for himself?

These are questions for which history probably does not have definitive answers. That's all right, though--at least the film causes you to ask the important questions yourself that you probably won't ask when merely reading a history textbook.

2. No Country for Old Men

The latest from the Coen brothers is my number two pick for this year. You may remember the actor who plays the main character in this film, Josh Brolin, from a little movie called The Goonies, in which he played Brand. After that, well, he didn't really appear in anything of note...until now. If there were ever a smart decision an actor made in order to revive his entire career, Josh Brolin has made it.

No Country for Old Men starts out simply enough: Llewelyn Moss (Brolin) is out hunting in the desert one day when he stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone horribly wrong. He finds a satchel with money in it. A lot of money. So, he takes it home with him and tries to figure out what he's going to do with it.

There's just one problem. Those who arranged the drug deal know the money is missing and they've sent someone to track the money (and its taker) down: a man by the name of Anton Chigurh, who is a cold-blooded killer for hire. And things, of course, take off from there.

Javier Bardem, who plays Chigurh, really steals the show in this movie. His character seems to be totally devoid of any conscience at all, yet he at least abides by some form of absolute, as is evidenced by the peculiar way he determines whether someone lives or dies. And while he is definitely one of the most evil characters put to film in recent memory (though see below in my number one pick for another), you can't help but be transfixed by his presence--it's not that you agree with what he does or you want to see him senselessly kill people, it's just that for some reason you can't stop thinking about what moves such a peculiar man to do what he does (though we in theological circles already know the ultimate answer to that question).

Many people haven't liked the ending to this film for numerous reasons upon which I cannot elaborate without ruining the film. If you do choose to see it, however, send me an e-mail and let me know that you've seen it and let me know what you thought about the ending. I've had to do a good deal of interpretation of it for some who have seen the movie and it could be that I might possibly help you out as well (or perhaps you have some fresh insight for me).

1. There Will Be Blood

Well, here it is: the best film of 2007. Not only is it the best film of 2007, but there really is no comparing it with most other movies. Truth be told, it probably should be in a category all it's own--the other four films on this list are excellent, but There Will Be Blood still stands above their excellence.

Let's start with the film's director, P. T. Anderson. In high school and my early college years, I liked him. I thought Boogie Nights was okay (seen during my rebellious years, friends) and that Magnolia was better. But later into college, he began to fall out of my favor and I now consider both of the aforementioned films to be nothing outstanding. Punch-Drunk Love helped bring him back towards my opinion of him as a good director, but There Will Be Blood has now earned him a newfound respect on my part. Kudos to him for directing one of the best movies I've ever seen.

Let's briefly move to the story. Daniel Plainview, a self-made oil man at the beginning of the 20th century, gets a mysterious tip about some oil on some property farther out in the West. He heads with his son to a rural town near the property, a town whose focal point is more or less the local charismatic church (with some seriously whacked-out theology) headed by a young preacher named Eli. Here Daniel tries to buy the property, which happens to be owned by Eli's father. And that's pretty much it (or as much as I can tell you). Obviously, if the title of the movie is any indication, things after that are not going to be well.

The musical score of the movie is outstanding and perfectly captures the mood of the film. There are many instances in the film in which if there were no music present (or different music present, for that matter), the scene would have lost its effect. For my readers out there who are also music buffs, I'll inform you that the score for the film was composed by none other than Jonny Greenwood, the guitarist for Radiohead.

There Will Be Blood has the performance of the year: Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview. I've always been a fan of Day-Lewis ever since the day I saw his performance in My Left Foot, which is, of course, the movie that earned him a "Best Actor" Oscar in 1989. But, "Mr. Method Actor" even outdoes himself as Daniel Plainview. While I have little reservation saying that he will win his second "Best Actor" Oscar at the upcoming Academy Awards, I have even less reservation saying that this is undoubtedly the single best performance on film at least within the past decade, possibly even longer. If you want to take me to task on this, be my guest--I openly challenge anyone to watch There Will Be Blood and then present a convincing argument as to why someone else's film performance in the past decade was better than Daniel Day-Lewis's in this movie.

I won't beat around the bush: Daniel Plainview is pure evil. If ever I were to see a man whom I could say had no soul (if such were theologically possible, of course), it would be him. Perhaps it is more appropriate to describe him as soul-dead, but I think you probably get my point.

So, why watch what I have declared to be pure evil on the cinema screen? Well, Daniel Plainview is more than just a man who is purely evil. He, if anything, serves as an example of just how far human depravity can go when it is set loose (don't worry--the film has zero sexual content and its violence is not gratuitous). Daniel Plainview is evil, he is greedy, he is wrathful, he is vengeful, he has rejected God, yes...all yes. But he is somewhat a family man and he has moments where he at least seems to do good or seems to actually have a heart. Is this not the paradox of every sinner born on this earth?

I would say There Will Be Blood is as much a character study as it is a film. It portrays the life of a man who has so abandoned himself to his greed, his wrath, and his vengeance that there can be no turning back. It is a deeply profound film, it challenges the viewer while he watches it, it prominently displays the problem of human sin, it contains the best performance of the past decade, it's cinematography is top-notch, it's musical score is outstanding, it's ending is destined to become one of the most memorable endings in movie history, and that is why, friends, it is the best film of 2007.

Honorable Mentions: The Darjeeling Limited, Breach, Juno

My Top Five Video Games of 2007

2007-12-28T13:11:00.000-06:00

Continuing on from my previous "top five" post, it is now time for "my top five video games of 2007." As far as scheduling goes, my "top five films of 2007" list will not appear until the first week of 2008. This is to allow myself enough time to attempt to finish off the movies of 2007 that I want to see. Again, the rule for each of these lists is that each item of media must have had an original release date in 2007. Now, without further adieu...

Matt's Top Five Video Games of 2007

5. God of War II by Sony, for the Playstation 2

God of War II picks up Kratos's adventure right where the original God of War left off (I cannot say any more concerning the story than this at the risk of spoiling the first game). There is little doubt among video game critics that the original was a masterpiece and thankfully, God of War II continues in its predecessor's legacy. What distinguishes it from the first game, however, is the fact that it took everything from the original (all of which was good) and made it all even better. Better controls, better graphics, a better storyline, and more intense, jaw-dropping action sequences fill what can probably rightly be called the last great Playstation 2 game.

4. Super Mario Galaxy by Nintendo, for the Wii

We who keep up with video games and video game business practices certainly know that 2007 was Nintendo's year. The fact that the Wii, a console originally released in November of 2006, was still in large demand and short supply this Christmas season only serves to prove this fact. With the momentum in the console wars in Nintendo's favor, Nintendo needed to produce a killer app this year and they succeeded with Super Mario Galaxy. It is a game that feels both old and new: old in the sense that it makes you recall the great Mario games of the past (especially the best of them all, Super Mario Bros. 3), new in the sense that the game looks and feels fresh. Some have previously postulated that Mario may have run his course. Evidently, the plumber still has a bright future ahead of him.

3. Call of Duty 4 by Activision, for the Xbox 360

This game was one that took me (and many others) by surprise this year. In fact, it wasn't even until this year's E3 that it even registered on my radar. I'm glad it did, though, because as you can see, it turned out to be one of my favorite games of the year. Call of Duty 4 has a good story for a first-person shooter game, stunning graphics, great special effects, and lots of action. Personally, in a choice between this and Halo 3 , I'd go with this. It's simply that good.

2. Rock Band by MTV Games, for the Xbox 360

Are you ready to rawk? Well, you better be if you're going to play Rock Band. Yes, it's true that you play a fake guitar (à la the Guitar Hero series), play an electronic "drum kit" mirrored after real electronic drum kits, and sing into your Xbox 360 via the included USB microphone, with an on-screen pitch arrow guiding your singing. None of this will make you an actual musician (with the possible exception of the drums). Still, it's as fun as can be. Try getting three of your friends together to play and see if you don't have a blast jamming to some of your favorite rock tunes!

1. BioShock by 2K Games, for the Xbox 360

Heady, philosophical dystopia and first-person shooters seem strange bedfellows. Yet somehow, some way, Bioshock successfully combines the two. Even if Bioshock were just a run-of-the-mill first-person shooter, it still would be good. When you add the dystopian underwater setting and Ayn Rand's objectivist philosophy to the mix, however, you've made something truly special. The story is great and even has some ingenious plot twists, the atmosphere is perfect, and the fact that the game forces the player to make distinct moral choices and live with the consequences is fantastic. I went over this "top five" list several times to see if I could think of any possible reason why Bioshock should not be at the top. The only thing that came close to dethroning it was the fact that it is a single-player experience only. Once I realized how necessary this was for the game, however, I knew that Bioshock was undoubtedly the best game of the year.

Honorable Mentions: Final Fantasy VI Advance by Square Enix, for the GameBoy Advance; Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions by Square Enix, for the Playstation Portable; Halo 3 by Microsoft and Bungie, for the Xbox 360; and Blue Dragon by Microsoft, for the Xbox 360

The Most Evil Video Game Ever

2007-12-26T21:42:00.000-06:00

Behold the most evil video game ever: an unnamed Super Mario Bros. knock-off.

NOTE: Probably the only way you will find this humorous is if you are very familiar with the first level of Super Mario Bros.

My Top Five Albums of 2007

2007-12-23T13:43:00.000-06:00

Yes, friends, it's that time of the year again: time for me to put together my "top five" lists! (Yes, I know I didn't post any "top five" lists last year. I'm terribly sorry.) We'll start with albums for this post. The next list will appear sometime later this week and be of video games. Finally, we'll finish things off with films. The rule for each of the lists is that each item of media must have had an original release date in 2007. Now, without further adieu...

Matt's Top Five Albums of 2007

5. The Good, the Bad & the Queen by The Good, the Bad & the Queen

For some reason I tend to find myself drawn towards Damon Albarn's material. I was a Blur fan back in the day (and still listen to their stuff sometimes) and when I heard about Gorillaz being formed back in 1998, I, of course, knew I would have to check them out once they released their stuff in the U.S. While I do like Gorillaz, it wasn't until I heard The Good, the Bad & the Queen that I realized how great a simple side-project could be. It certainly doesn't hurt that Albarn enlisted Paul Simonon, the legendary bass player for The Clash, into his little band. Still, it's their unique sound and the fact that the album is a great concept album that keeps me coming back for more.

4. Our Love to Admire by Interpol

O, Interpol, you critical darlings of the New York indie music scene, you. Just when I think you can't get me with any more of your catchy hooks and sometimes clever lyrics, you come out with this album and prove me wrong. Sometimes you're rock, sometimes you're post-punk, sometimes I just don't really know how to classify you. I guess all I can really say is that whatever you are (and you change nearly every song), you're good.

3. In Rainbows by Radiohead

This year Radiohead did what has never been done before: they released an album solely as a download on the Internet. But wait, they also did something else that has never been done before: they let you pay whatever you wanted for it. Yes, whatever you wanted. Some people payed the average price of a CD. Others payed more than the average price of a CD. Some only payed one cent. I payed ten dollars. Whatever the price the person payed, though, the album assuredly was worth every milli-cent (if there were such a thing as a milli-cent, of course).

At first, I didn't know what to think of the new album. Was it classic Radiohead? In a way, I guess, but not entirely. Was it modern Radiohead? It was probably some of that, too, I suppose. Was it experimental and the future of Radiohead? I would say that it leans more in that direction than anything. You can definitely sense at least some influence from Thom Yorke's solo album debut, The Eraser, but In Rainbows definitely stands on its own. If this is the future of Radiohead, I'll have to say that I like it.

2. Neon Bible by Arcade Fire

To say the least, Arcade Fire is a very interesting band. I'd even go so far as to say that their live shows are among the best I've ever seen and that I prefer their live music to their recorded music, but hey, this list is about studio albums, right? Well, have no fear because their studio albums are great, too, and Neon Bible is no exception. The album continues in the Arcade Fire tradition of using a wide variety of instruments and featuring anthemic orchestration to produce a truly unique sound. Trumpets, french horns, trombones, tubas, violins, violas, cellos, drums, guitars, bass guitars, mandolins, xylophones, keyboards, hurdy gurdies...you more-or-less name it and it's used. With that many instruments, you might think that their songs could quite easily descend into unorganized messes of musical nonsense. I can assure you, however, that the opposite is the result.

1. Hvarf-Heim by Sigur Rós

I mentioned Arcade Fire being unique above, but there are different degrees of unique. Arcade Fire is unique; Sigur Rós is unique to the nth degree. I won't go into what Sigur Rós sounds like here simply because they defy description and demand listening. What I will say is that although Hvarf-Heim is a short double-album, the first of which is studio music and the second of which is live music, it still does not disappoint. The five songs on Hvarf were songs that should have been recorded but never were. The six songs on Heim are all "acoustic" versions of some of their best songs (I use acoustic in quotation marks because describing Sigur Rós songs as acoustic is like dividing by zero). All of the songs together? Why, the best of the year, of course.

Honorable Mentions: Volta by Björk, A Weekend in the City by Bloc Party, Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem, and New Wave by Against Me!

Tales from Grading Hades

2007-12-20T14:31:00.000-06:00

I actually had to write the following on a paper today:

"I've never heard of a 'BIBLIGRAPHYO' before."

Now I know why professors have graders.

The Latest Lost News

2007-12-19T15:33:00.001-06:00

WARNING: Season Three spoilers abound if you watch the videos!!!

First of all, the fourth season of Lost will premiere on January 31 and the show has officially moved to Thursdays at 8:00 PM. Now, on to the good stuff!

Here is the first trailer for Season Four:

And here is the extended trailer for Season Four:

Also, if you haven't already been keeping up with the official "Missing Pieces" mobisodes online, you can find them here: http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/missingpieces/index?pn=index.

Thus Saith the King

2007-12-15T12:45:00.000-06:00

For a while now, I've grown to respect what Stephen King has to say about all things pop culture. Perhaps this is due to the fact that he and I seem to have similar tastes concerning certain forms of entertainment (wait, should I be scared that I share similar tastes with Stephen King?). Whatever the reason may be, he's a go-to guy for me when it comes to entertainment opinions.

Consequently, it should come as no surprise, then, that I am posting what he recently had to say about ~~the greatest television show of all-time~~ my favorite television show, Lost. In the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, King declares his list of the five best TV series of 2007, placing Lost at the top of the list:

"1. Lost Still the best. I re-watched the entire third season to make sure, and--yes--still the best. Heroes just doesn't have its mythic grandeur. People are reaching for the stars here. And maybe beyond. Really, there's never been anything like it."

Thanks, Uncle Stevie. I couldn't have said it better myself.

The Holy Grail of Video Game Collecting...

2007-11-25T21:49:00.001-06:00

...is up for sale.

Read 'em and weep, fellow collectors. Read 'em and weep.

Rise of the Video Game

2007-11-23T22:06:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wanted to know more about the video game phenomenon, particularly its history?

No? What's wrong with you?

Yes? Blessed are you among men!

Either way, please seek the following opportunity to educate yourself about video game history and why video games are a viable and culturally important art form. The Discovery Channel (probably much to the chagrin of Mr. Roger "Video Games Are Not Art" Ebert*) has begun airing a five-part documentary on the history of video games entitled "Rise of the Video Game." The first episode aired on Wednesday and subsequent episodes will be aired on consecutive Wednesdays. Check the schedule on the Discovery Channel website for your opportunity to check out "Level (Part) One" and then tune in the following Wednesdays for the remaining parts of the documentary.

The Discovery Channel's "Rise of the Video Game"

*I respect Roger Ebert's movie reviews, as they are typically very well-written and well-reasoned. But does the man have a clue when he's talking about video games? Absolutely not. Always remember, children, that even the best movie critics out there still have written such tripe as Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

Prepare Thyself...

2007-11-07T21:13:00.000-06:00

...for the greatest band documentary ever made.

"Heima," by Sigur Rós, will be released in the U.S. on November 20.

Welcome to Rapture

2007-10-25T13:16:00.000-05:00

So, you think video games are for simple-minded individuals who like to waste their time killing brain cells when they could be involved in more noble intellectual pursuits? Perhaps you should think again.

Behold Bioshock : a game whose ideas are very much influenced by the philosophy of Ayn Rand (intentionally, as reported by the game's production team). Whether you agree with her or not (hopefully, you do not), her ideas do a great job of forming the background of a video game, or at least this videogame. Oh, and it also happens to be one of the best games I've ever played. :-)

Will you learn philosophy or become more intelligent by playing it? Eh...no, not really. Will you have a good time playing an intelligent game that sets itself apart from other, less meaningful games? Absolutely.

If You Want to See Something Crazy...

2007-10-20T09:11:00.001-05:00

...watch the end of this eBay auction.

For Darrell and His Budding Chemists

2007-10-16T21:35:00.001-05:00

Coincidentally, this is also how I study theology.

The Worth of It All

2007-10-08T14:25:00.001-05:00

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
--T.S. Eliot, "The Four Quartets"

I suppose it's time to share my heart again regarding the Ph.D. program, seeing as how it has been a while since I've done so. And to be honest, I question the wisdom of taking time from when I could be doing something "productive" to instead write this post, but this is just something I've got to get out.

For the past week or so, a simple question has repeatedly forced its way into my thought life: "is it worth it?" By this, I mean whether or not obtaining a Ph.D. is worth all of the time, work, stress, sacrifice, etc. that inexorably goes into the degree. And I must confess that I have neither a simple answer nor one that serves as a knee-jerk response to the question. In fact, I've spent a good deal of time pondering the question and trying to ascertain a well-thought answer.

But, the problem is that in the thick of things is not the best time to answer the question, as I have no way of actually determining whether or not it is indeed worth it while the work is still in progress. This, of course, leads me to attempt to answer the question from a future perspective and in this case, a future perspective necessitates a hypothetical situation.

The other day, the following came to mind. I'm sitting at a table in a house different from the one in which I am currently living and presumably I have obtained a Ph.D a decade or so previously. Natalie, now old enough to understand the concepts of college and academic degrees, sits down to talk to me about my education. As we're talking, she asks the question, "So, Dad, was it worth it?"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Was getting a Ph.D. worth everything you had to do, all the work you had to put into it, everything you had to sacrifice for it, having your entire thought life consumed by it, 'being' at home but not really being at home, the time with Mom you had to give to it instead, the time with me and Parker as small children you had to give to it instead? Was it worth all of that?"

I have a blank stare on my face. Evidently, I'm recalling everything that Natalie has just mentioned and ruminating over the question. Seconds that seem like hours pass in the awkward silence. My expression changes and I look at her with the face of a man who longs to regain certain moments of his life if for no other reason than to see whether things might have possibly turned out a bit differently. And with the voice of one who realizes that this question has haunted him ever since the day he finally graduated with a Ph.D., I give her my answer.

What an interesting paradox: today I can say that I do not know the answer to such a question, yet deep down inside, something tells me that I know the answer all too well.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

2007-10-08T09:42:00.000-05:00

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford certainly has my vote for the best movie of the year thus far. See it if you get the chance.

Why Radiohead is Pretty Much the Coolest Band Around

2007-10-04T19:05:00.000-05:00

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2007/10/04/black.uk.radiohead.dem.cnn

and

"Radiohead Says: Pay What You Want"

I Wonder What Roger Ebert Has to Say About This...

2007-09-27T10:21:00.000-05:00

A Microsoft Press Release:

Microsoft today announced that the Xbox 360 exclusive game "Halo 3" has officially become the biggest entertainment launch in history, garnering an estimated $170 million in sales in the United States alone in the first 24 hours. The Xbox 360 title beat previous records set by blockbuster theatrical releases like "Spider-man 3" and novels such as "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

"Halo 3" is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where "Halo 2" left off, answering questions around the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, "Halo 3" continues the franchise's grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE, the world's largest social network on TV.

"Halo 3 has become a pop-culture phenomenon," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. "Not only is "Halo 3" setting sales records, it's also redefining entertainment. Within the first 20 hours alone, we've seen more than a million Xbox LIVE members come online to play Halo 3 – that makes September 25 the most active Xbox LIVE gaming day in history."

Retailers have also expressed their excitement about the launch of "Halo 3." Bob McKenzie, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for GameStop Corp commented that, "With consumer demand for Halo 3 and related products, we expect it to be the biggest video game title generator in GameStop's history."

"The initial demand we've seen for 'Halo 3' has been astounding, and the game is on track to become the number one gaming title of all time. 'Halo 3' is a genuine entertainment phenomenon and our customers have responded very enthusiastically to the release," said Jill Hamburger, vice president of movies and games at Best Buy.

Developed by Bungie Studios, the "Halo" franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network. The more than 7 million Xbox LIVE users will get a continually evolving gaming experience with "Halo 3." Its online multiplayer and cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favorite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables infinite customization options are just some of the new features to experience.

More than 10,000 retailers hosted Midnight Madness events to celebrate the launch of this third installment in the billion-dollar franchise. In New York, Seattle, Miami and Los Angeles, Microsoft and retail partners hosted marquee launch events that featured contests and appearances by local celebrities and professional athletes who are fanatical about the "Halo" franchise, including Ludacris and Zac Efron and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

More than 1.7 million copies of "Halo 3" were preordered in the United States before a single store opened its doors at midnight, Sept. 25, making this the fasting pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of "Halo 2." Well beyond just a U.S. phenomenon, the launch of "Halo 3" was a worldwide celebration that released in 37 countries and available in 17 languages.

About Xbox 360
Xbox 360 is a superior video game and entertainment system delivering the best games, unique entertainment features and a unified online gaming network that revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 will have a portfolio of more than 300 games and will be available in nearly 40 countries by the end of 2007. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360. About Xbox LIVE Xbox LIVE is the first and most comprehensive unified online entertainment network seamlessly integrated throughout the entire console experience, making it easy for people to find the friends, games and entertainment they want from the moment they power on their Xbox 360 system. Xbox LIVE connects millions of members across 25 countries to enjoy hundreds of multiplayer games, downloadable games via Xbox LIVE Arcade, free and premium playable game demos, music videos, TV shows and movies in the United States as well as new game levels, characters and vehicles for all their favorite retail games. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

About Bungie Studios
Bungie Studios was founded in 1991 with two goals: to develop games that combine brilliant technology, beautiful art, intelligent stories and deep gameplay, and then sell enough of those games to achieve its real goal of total world domination. Over the past 10 years, it has produced games such as the "Marathon" trilogy and the first two "Myth" games, hailed as classics by critics and gamers around the world. Bungie's "Halo" franchise is an international award-winning action title that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 14.8 million units worldwide, logging nearly one billion hours of multiplayer action on Xbox LIVE, and spawning action figures, books, a graphic novel, apparel and more. "Halo 3," the final installment in Bungie's epic "Halo" trilogy, released on Sept. 25 to critical acclaim and record setting sales. More information on Bungie can be found at http://www.bungie.net.

Proper Prioritization

2007-09-24T11:09:00.001-05:00

I didn't get all of my schoolwork finished this week and honestly, it hurts. I'm the kind of person whom it kills to not get everything finished that I am supposed to get finished.

It bothers me that I don't have the knowledge I am supposed to have gained from reading all of the book I was supposed to have completely read for discussion today in class. It bothers me that I probably will not be able to contribute much to the discussion today.

But, the catch is that I did the right thing in not finishing my work. I have to admit that it's been one crazy week with our new baby boy around here and with taking Susan to the doctor, etc. Anyone who has children knows the challenges that the first several weeks of a new child's life bring. Family responsibilities and ministry to my family take priority over studies. I know that and yes, I put that into practice this week (as hopefully I do every week).

Still, sometimes (many times, I suppose) doing the right thing is hard to do. I can't allow myself to worry about how not finishing my work will negatively affect my studies, but it's kind of hard not to, as my mind is constantly inundated with thoughts regarding my studies (call it "the curse of higher education").

Proper prioritization is a painful practice.

Whom Am I Most Looking Forward to Seeing at Austin City Limits?

2007-08-27T23:58:00.001-05:00

You know it.