Best of 2021

4–Deafheaven—like many, if not millions, I was concerned that they were changing “styles” and focusing on singing “softer songs” with some synths thrown in. I was not prepared for the beauty that is this album. This stunned me.  It is still Deafheaven, no doubt.  However, this shows their skill in many new facets, and in context of the whole album, the closer “Mombasa” becomes a stunning, potent, and beautiful finale.

3- Fiddlehead—“Between the Richness”—If I’m honest, I love nearly everything “Run for Cover Records” signs/publishes/promotes.  But with Fiddlehead, I have been hooked ever since they sang “Lay Low” on their first album. This album is not only better than the first, it feels like a “whole album” in ways their debut just didn’t.  At a short 25 minutes, you can listen to this many times and hear something new each time.

2-One Step Closer—“This Place you Know.”  Like Fiddlhead, I was excited to hear what these guys would do…and they deliver.  I’m a little unsure of the opener, but the album as a whole is so urgent and full of great lines, I’m hooked months later.  

1-The World is beautiful place & I’m no longer afraid to die—“Illusory Walls”—I first heard about this band back in 2013, just a month after I got married.  I quickly devoured their albums up until that point, waiting with baited breath as to what they would put out.  There was something about their build up, language and skill that drew me in to nearly every song.   I quickly preordered “Illusory Walls” and the vinyl when I saw they were releasing a new album in 2021.  Aside from their long band name, I have not listened to an album as much as this one since it came out.  It is complete, with each song building into the next, with the concept of “illusory walls” squarely in the middle of each song.  I try not to use this term, but when I think of “best albums,” 2 things spring to my mind: 1- I want to enjoy listening to the work,     2– confidently tell someone, “this is art.”  With this brilliant work coming 4 years after their previous album, this band is right back at the forefront of emo. 

Movie of the year:  No Time to Die

    Obviously, the pandemic is still hindering some movie watching in the theatre, but this one was simply my favorite.  I, and millions of others, love what Daniel Craig did for the Bond franchise.  There was something about the acting that made me believe Craig was an actual human being, not some “secret agent” with cool gadgets and a “license to kill.”  The last 3 films, connecting the dots to not just “Spectre” but to Bond as a human being, to me, really clicked, with this film ending Craig’s run in stunning fashion.

While Bond can be a major cliche in many of the films, I loved the story and villain in this movie.  It felt even more personal than “Skyfall” or even “Casino Royals,” and that is a tribute to the moments Rami has with Craig.  The years in planning the moves each made was great, creating genuine suspense and a bit of empathy.  Both men have lost something, and both men, don’t want to experience loss again.  I appreciate that the past few movies have been more personal instead of “i must destroy the world” Bond villain.  With Marvel, and Thanos especially, that vibe is getting old fairly quickly, no matter how great the build up and acting.  Personal stories, family and true stakes will always connect with audiences.  Add to the fact that while you watch the film, you know that this is it for Craig, there is a bit more “buy in” to the actual watching experience.  

While Craig’s run as Bond is very much over (Focus on more “Knives Out” movies please), I am excited to see where the next 007 may take the franchise, as the African American actress Lashana Lynch did a good job as a foil/friend/fellow agent with Bond.  I appreciated that many times she said or explicitly acted towards Bond as an agent that “earned” the right to be 007, which is great.  While she may not be the next Bond, as long as the series focuses on the human aspect of the character, the series will be in great shape, as Craig showed numerous times.

Best of 2020

 Obviously, 2020 was a different/tragic/weird/outlier of a year.  Sadly, this means that most of the music I would hear, along with millions of people, will be filtered through the word(s) of "pandemic" or "Covid."  Touring was cancelled, which means how artists would release music and then promote it drastically changed.  Knowing this means that the music needed to either "speak" to me and others differently, or it had to be just as abnormal as our quarantine methods.  For me, this meant that the music I consumed was filtered into: "speaks of quarantine emotions" (like anger or deep sadness) OR "plain fun" (so I'm not thinking of the bland day).   So, instead of 10 albums that spoke to me this year, there were many solid albums, but only 3 that truly stand out--and I continue to listen to as 2021 unfolds.

Best Album with all the emotions of Covid:  "The Microphones in 2020."  This isn't really a "record" so much as one man--Phil Elverum--literally processing the year via "talk singing."  It is both autobiographical as well as deeply personal, connecting with millions that are sitting at home looking out their windows.  In essence, Phil is strumming and playing background music for 46 minutes while he talks about his life, both current and past.  It is breathtaking.  The first time I heard the album all the way through, I was not sure what I heard, so I kept it on repeat and it continued to reveal knew emotions, phrases or strumming patterns that encapsulated exactly what I was feeling for nearly all of 2020.  Anger, check. Regret, check. Optimism, check.  Serenity, double check.  The album was so good I ordered it on vinyl and was stunned to see how the concept of his album played out in the vinyl format.  Before you start digesting new music for 2021, give this one a listen and let peaceful longing fill your soul....BEWARE: The Microphones don't start singing until 7 minutes in...and yes, that was a pun.

Favorite Album of 2020: Nothing "The Great Dismal."  It is possible to have a Best album, but actually enjoy listening to a different one.  Personally, I like this band and album simply because you can see all the ways in which they are also digesting 2020.  Unlike The Microphones somber tone, these guys mix up a lot of different sounds, from loud to quiet and back again, into one cohesive whole, each track hitting me at just the right time, no matter the mood I am in.  This album pushed me to re-listen to their other albums that I possess, but hadn't gone back to in several years.  Again, it was so good front to back that I had to purchase the vinyl.  

Most Fun Album of 2020: Slick Shoes "Rotation & Frequency."  I admit this freely: Slick Shoes announced they were working on material and I rolled my eyes, thinking "Another band trying to copy MxPx and their longevity...and late 90's nostalgia."  What do we get here?  A band that is truly better, more focused and fun than they ever were when they started.  Just my opinion, of course, as their early stuff is great, just not refined like this album.  Whenever anyone asked me what I was listening to, this is the album I was more than happy to boast about, as the guys struck gold due to one simple reason: FUN to listen to.  If you want a good pick me up as we fly into 2021, give this one a listen and a BUY...the vinyl colors are legit!

Best Movie: Tenet.  It's Nolan with a convoluted script about time and actors literally going backwards while we watch a movie going forward.  I'm truly not sure what I watched, but I know I enjoyed every moment and am still talking about it.  You will see all the typical Nolan set pieces and action moments, but what you won't expect is the stunning ending that will force you to go on Reddit and ask "explain the ending to Tenet."  Enjoy this one.  They don't make them like this!

Best of 2019

Music:
Album of the year:
1-Tool
When “10,000 days” came out, i had just finished college with my bulky IPod classic.  Tool had helped carry me through a lot of the studying time, along with being a trusty companion for the college bus rides i had to endure.  Fast forward to this year and Tool absolutely kills it.  This has been on constant repeat, with more notes, nuances and necessities being discovered with each listen; it is an album that avoids our societies attachment to quick hits and “singles released.”  It must be listenened to in its entirety, as the band truly intended.  I am proud to say that i put the kids down for a nap and listened to it in utter civility...for an entire week.  Months later, i still do this...with a big grin of satisfaction.  I always thought 13 years was a bit much in between albums, but man, this is stunning, and yet, essentially Tool.  When Maynard sings “struggling/to remain/relevant” i felt that as a husband, dad, etc.

2-Pedro the Lion—“Phoenix”
I have always enjoyed Pedro the Lion and David Bazaan solo material.  But none of the albums stood out to me, until this one.  I listened to it and then happened to watch his documentary “Strange Negotiations” on a long road trip.  Maybe it was because i did this all in one sitting, but at that moment, much of my childhood and life seemed to come together in serveal moments.  I remembered riding my yellow bike as a kid “Yellow bike” and causing hurt feelings over something i said to a friend “Quietest friend.”  Whatever the moment, subtle though it may be, Bazaan seemed to capture it, put it to gorgeous music that needed to be replayed and replayed.  I enjoyed Tool more, but this album was played and “felt” more throughout most of 2019.
3-Weyes Blood
This album is on most “End of the year” lists, and for good reason.  The entire albums seamlessly fits together in one gorgeous Titanic moment.  When i hear about music being “art,” this is what i think of.  A band/artist working through their voice, their identity, wrestling with communicating humanity to the rest of the world in beautiful ways.  Listen to this if you love beauty and want time to stand still.

4-Slaughter Beach Do—I fully admit to being an emo guy, but i fully admit and admire the fact that i still love and miss the great emo band known as “American Baseball.”  The lyrics, chemistry and fast paced commentary on society just seemed to click when i listened to them.  Sadly, they are on hiatus, but Jake Ewald pressed on, and has realeased mulitiple solo albums as Slaughter Beach Dog.  “Safe and Also No Fear” is the perfect title as we press forward into 2020 and the future.  We long for “safe placed” but we pretend we aren’t fearful in front of others.  We yearn for true hero’s, paying billions to see them interact with bad guys (Hello, Avengers), but as Jake sings, “Sometimes the good ones aren’t as good as you recall,” leaving you with a saddened sense of purpose; the idea of hero can be part of your identity, but only if the government says so.  The whole album is truly indie and yet, “dad rock.”

5-State Faults/Inter Arma
I admit to liking “screams” at times, but in the right context: tough day, long run, lack of sleep, etc.  Then, there are bands that just must be listened to because of their passion and skill.  Both of these bands released albums this year, and they are vastly different, but i like them for the same reason:  they do what they do with excellence and passion, shredding in different ways, screaming with one unity.  If you like Deafhaven, i would gather you would enjoy State Faults album “Clairvoyant.”  If you like to see a band build to a frenzy, then listen to Inter Arma “Sulphuric English” while you work out those New Years Resolutions you have already abandoned...and be glad your screaming about it.

Runner Ups:
American Football
Big Thief—Both albums
Better Oblivion Community Center
Great Grandpa
(Sandy) Alex G—listen to “Hansel” and be haunted


Movie:  Joker

Having taken a lot of film courses, one thing that absolutely drives me nuts is when a blockbuster comes along and people claim that “the acting is top notch.”  While I won’t deny that the actors put in time and effort to make something fun (“Avengers”),  entertaining (“Crawl”) and “great” (“Us”), there are very few actors that truly devote themselves to their craft and art.  When Christian Bale plays a magician in “The Prestige” and comments that “this, this is the act...their entire life and being is the magic trick,” he could also be speaking about Hollywood. Christian Bale may be weird and himself “hit and miss” when it comes to roles and how well they do, the man is usually all in on his films.  From Dick Cheney “Vice,” to his overweight con man in the great “American Hustle,” Bale at least tries in the roles he signs up form.  The best is still Daniel Day-Lewis. He always put his entire life into a character, and it is why he would only do 2-3 films every 5 years.  Today, you have big name stars doing 5 movies a year, but none really standing out.  Enter, Joaquin Phoenix.  This, this is acting.  Mr. Phoenix loses 55 pounds, isolates himself for days/weeks for the role, and works on developing a haunting laugh.  This is acting, and it comes from a man who already creeped many people out with his “emperor” role in “Gladiator,” along with his excellent role as Mr. Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line.”  When “Joker” realizes the brilliance/irony of his plan at the end of “Joker” and looks at the camera and says to us/therapist that “we wouldn’t understand” the brilliance is palpable.  Here is a man that says things we all relate to “is it just me or is it getting crazier out there?” AND lives in an isolated life, despite being surrounded by people; things most wrestle with internally, but never act on.  Joker finally acts on things and it is truly stunning.  This is a film in which I knew I had watched a character truly come to life, yet spur something deeper.  The ending and film continue to be discussed, and it was an easy film of the year choice—no debate needed.

Runner up:  “Us.”  If you want to be haunted and ask “what did I just watch?” then this is the film of 2019.  The acting is stunning, as is the weird story.  All i know is that to this day, I still can’t watch it at night, and I still don’t truly know what is going on.  Just check out Reddit if you don’t believe me.

Music and Movie of 2018

Movie and Music of 2018

1-Boygenuis

I'll admit that I have all the albums by these amazing singers, so when i heard they were forming a supergroup i never doubted their talent(s) to figure out how to mesh and create songs that would stay in my brain.  But i never expected this...memorable, thought provoking and frankly, stunning in simplicity, beauty and true female power.  Long live these ladies.  Shout out to cover art...for true music lovers.

2-Deafhaven "Ordinary Corrupt Human Love"

I had heard about this band for years, but had never jumped into them or even streamed them.  They seemed out there, confusing and "fake angry" from what i had read about them.  Like, who wants to scream in anger at the world, yet still find time to put a piano solo into a song?  It just seem right, or even "metal."   But then, "Ordinary Love" came out and blew my eardrums off...literally.  I ended up ordering a shirt, vinyl and cd of this album.  The best way to experience this is simple:  Keep it on repeat, with great headphones, letting each song, note and scream flow into the next, with no stopping.  This is what I did when i was on a bus traveling for 20 hours through Africa...and i still feel this album and its extravagant beauty over the constant bumps of the road.

3--Rolo Tomasi "Time will die and love will bury it"

So, i am a bit of a film buff and my 5th favorite film of all time is LA Confidential.  So, somehow, i heard this phrase was a band.  I had to check them out due to curiosity alone.  I had not even heard a song when i came across their bandcamp page and read a comment that said simply, "This album is love."  I never thought someone could ever say that about music, which is sound over actual sacrifice.  However, that comment, person, future world problem solver is absolutely correct.  The sounds are murky, hard, edgy and soft.  All of these elements and more are indeed found in love.  But taken as a whole, this ablum simply leaves me in awe every time i hear it.  Come to find out, they have released 4 other albums and constant singles and eps...this is what love does...it keeps on giving to others, because "love never fails."

4-Windhand "Eternal Return"

Another band that i had never heard of, but came across my Pandora station one day because i adore the grunge of the Melvins and Dinosaur Jr.  Windhand and their Eternal Return album have been on play for the past 3 weeks, along with all their other albums.  Turns out, this was made right after the singer had a baby.  Babies are a lot of work, but when you realize they are special gifts, we truly have been given an "eternal return" with them.   Let this one, and its massive riffs fill your soul on those long, wintery days.

5-Spiritualized "And nothing hurt" 

I am a bit of skeptic when it comes to the Brits, Europe and and bands from "across the pond."  I mean, who hasn't heard of Oasis.  But when i found out that this band started back in the 80's, with huge influence and a "techy, space vibe" i thought why not see where they are now.  Turns out, for the most part, this is now just one man--Jason Pierce.  He learned how to use Garageband and other computer programs to make his work seem bigger than it is in order to have a "fill up the stadium" vibe, which he used to have with his former albums.  Due to streaming, lack of album purchases, it is obvious that artists must adapt, as due music labels, if they are to make money and find a niche.  So, Jason Pierce took 2.5 years to work on this, honing many elements into this album, and it works in amazing ways.  This has my song or lyric of the year:  "I'm your man."   I could be faithful, honest and true, holding my heart for you.  But if you want wasted, loaded, permanently folded, doing the best that he can, i'm your man."   So many times in marriage, i feel like a hack that somehow got lucky marrying the person that I did, yet, still "doing the best he can...then i'm her man."  There is a subtle desperation to this song, one that perfectly encaptures one man (or many) struggling with his relationship, something all of us grasp at a deep level.

Movie of the year:  Annihilation   

Runner up: Avengers: Infinity War 

I'm stunned to say this, but Obama and I do agree on some things:  our movies align quite frequently.  While I had a ton of fun watching and enjoying Avengers this year, as Marvel just knows how to put out a fun, entertaining hero flick (take notes DC, please...), for them to build up to this film and then pull it off with a genuine cliff-hanger, in this day and age, is stunning, and another reason film, when  done right, has the power to transcend and be a quality talking point for society.  Avengers did that and more...shout out to the Chriss' talking to each other in the Avengers film...so much fun.  But, as for quality of film, stunning visuals and exciting, thought-provoking premise, there can be no other:  Annihilation wins hands down.

I had not heard of this film until late November when i saw it on Itunes for .99 to rent.  So, why not?  Besides, Alex Garland is a great film director (Ex Machina) and writer (did screenplay for Never Let Me Go). I simply had nothing to lose going this route. To say i was blown away is an understatement.  The movie revolves around 4-6 lady scientists going into an alien being known simply as "The Shimmer" because it landed by a lighthouse, but continues to grow, slowly taking over southern Florida.  Many teams have gone in, but only 1 person has returned--and is on life support--Natalie Portman's (playing the Biologist) husband Oscar Isaac (one of our most under-rated actors, but Star Wars may put him over the top).  How did he survive?  Can Portman save him by going into the Shimmer looking for answers?  These are normal film questions that we would understandably have...but what makes Sci-Fi great is the big questions that it asks of us.  In this case, is there a difference in our DNA and that of others?  Are we truly all in "self destruct" mode, even though we are living the life we want?  These are just some of the big questions this film asks, and like his previous film, this does end with a bit of a shock, and dare i say, trepidation.

I was very impressed with the female cast.  At first, I was stunned to see so few men in this film.  During our whole metoo movement, it seems that films force their views on us, instead of finding a decent cast that fits the story so we can care about the characters and their struggles.  This film does not do that.  The ladies are all experts in their field and because teams led by men have not returned, ladies wanted to step up and help, hoping their DNA would be the key to unlocking the mystery of the "Shimmer."  The violence is not typical of your R-rated film.  Most violent films use excessive gore, and guts in order to give the feeling that this scene is intense... "like you had to be there."   In this film, the violence is felt, but not shown, and it is shockingly felt.  And because it is not frequent, the encounters hold more weight, mean more, and truly shock viewers, giving credence to the fact that we are inside an alien "shimmer" and don't know what to do.  What makes this absolutely stunning, is that every lady is carrying a secret, one that can annihilate her, but not the team.  The title says it all.  "Annihilation."

Avengers Infinity War:  Worth the wait?

The Avengers Infinity War movie finally came out.  After 98 precursor set up films, (it's like 31 films), and countless hidden easter eggs throughout said films, alternative endings, and great one-liners, everything boils down to one question:  will Infinity War deliver on its investment?  Let's face it:  this film could bomb simply because it has too many great characters to show on screen, all with powerful personalities, portrayed by people we have tended to like for the past 30 films.  We are invested and we want that investment to pay off handsomely.  So, to answer the question, the film can be summed up in two words:  WOW and What?

To keep things simple, the movie revolves around Josh Brolin and his mighty chin, errr, character named Thanos.  Thanos has one job:  save the world from killing itself due to limited natural resources, and so, he believes, it is in the universes best interest if someone eliminates humanity before the cruel world does it.  Thus, Thanos needs the Infinity stones (Time, Soul, Space, etc.), which are powerful items that when placed on a cool glove, form the Infinity Gauntlet.  Again, this stuff has been "hidden" throughout the other films and is now here for us to gaze at...along with shattering the all time opening weekend box office numbers.  And the film does deliver!   The film is huge, but it all revolves around Brolin's baddy and he does an admirable job.  There are times that i found myself admiring his ideas (in a weird, Charles Dickinson way) and the way in which he interacts with the other Avengers.  Unlike Loki or a Bond villain that wants to take over the world for greedy ways, Thanos doesn't really find pleasure in killing people or the Avengers (spoiler alert).  He truly feels if he doesn't, there will be more suffering because he has not taken action.  There is no pleasure in fighting people that hold opposing views, like the Avengers, and he goes out of his way to say that he admires what they stand for.  I found it refreshing simply because i'm tired of all the Vin Disel, macho, alpha male, ego driven vengeance flicks these past several years.  There seems to be a true dignity by both sides in how they tackle their problems with each other.
The cast is large, but everyone will love the jokes, especially Chris Pratt challenging the other Chris's in the film.  Frankly, the movie could have died upon arrival because there are so many characters, but each one gets ample time to show off their powers, and personalities, which is great.  The film, while long, never feels bogged down, but that is also a problem.  The film just ends.  I verbally said, "What?" when the film ended.  Herein lies the true problem with Marvel films:  money.

There are characters that die, in fact, half the world population gets wiped out.  Yet, there is no sadness or sorrow because we know Disney is raking in so much cash, they literally can't allow any of these great folks to die.  There are several glaring, "wink, wink" moments by Doctor Strange that set up the potential "resurrections" because of various "timelines," with hints of Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) coming soon to save everyone.  Heck, even knowing Avengers 4 will come this time in 2019 takes away the genuine suspense from a truly great movie.  We know, somehow, everyone will make it back.  And with that, go enjoy this fun, great movie with friends and family, but get ready to leave the theatre shaking your head, wondering once again (or 31 times), "Well, gotta wait for the next one."

Captain America is another great Marvel film!!!

The start of summer can mean only one thing when it comes to the local cinema:  A new Marvel movie will come out and attempt to wreck all previous box office records.  And right on time, here comes Captain America: Civil War after the blasé Batman vs. Superman film.  To be quite clear, the new Captain America is excellent, and quite possible, the best “Avengers” film. It certainly deals with more “grown up” themes, whereas past films dealt mainly with “The End of the World.”   Like the previous Marvel films, it has the perfect cast, tone and script, while poking fun at itself, though not to the extent of the recent Deadpool.

The plot revolves around the Avengers (minus Hulk and Thor) discussing and potentially being forced into "accountability" by the United Nations and other governments after a chase goes sideways in east Africa.  It goes without saying that the words "accountability" and government should never be uttered in the same sentence, but i digress. Of course, this entire U.N. “accountability” has been completely set up and manipulated by someone controlling Captain America’s good friend “Bucky” the Winter Solider.  In this sense, the film feels like an extension of the “Winter Solider” film, but completely surpasses the previous films because of the jaw dropping truths that are revealed throughout the film.  

Most of the characters initially agree that they should be held in check, because without that accountability than we are “no better than the bad guys,” according to Tony Stark.  His legacy, idiosyncrasies and pride are completely believable and brought to an excellent denouement by Robert Downey Jr.  In the previous films, he had a charisma that would put off many people because it always followed an arrogance that drove people, and his teammates crazy; but you knew he was brilliant, so you just kind of went with it.  In this film, he is so different from the previous films, many may be upset that his personality has undergone a huge transformation, but we believe it (for those who have seen the other films) because we know he wants to leave a legacy that matters, one that is based on saving people and even teammates from making the same mistakes that he has made.  The film is commendable when it comes to this theme, as well as the idea that actions, right or wrong, are ultimately what people are remembered for.  For Captain America, it has always been about integrity and serving others, in whatever capacity the country needed him. Contrast that with Stark, who has been a billionaire wiz kid, seen first hand the destruction of his devices, lost a close relationship, and yet, still believes he can change his legacy and that of his family.

The idea of family is an excellent theme, one that is constantly brought into the film, as these characters make stands that impact all those involved, as well as future films.  The side plot involves family and an evil character that brilliantly plays the Avengers off of each other, and is a great tribute to the old Hitchcock films where a giant “Truth bomb” levels everyone near the end:  “I knew i couldn’t kill them.  Better men than me have tried.  But if i could turn them against each other, that would be…”   Vengeance becomes the driving force of this character and the movie, and one that our world always argues and discusses.  This movie pushes the idea of vengeance to its breaking point, as all the characters that seek vengeance end up struggling, as if they can see something powerful, but can’t grasp it.  There is a character that chooses to forgive and instead of sounding cliched or dumb, is very powerful in setting up the future Avenger films.

Spider Man and Black Panther make their debuts into the Marvel canon and they are excellent in every capacity.  They are perfectly cast and highlight their skills without being overbearing.  Tom Holland really does look like a teenage Peter Parker, one who is in awe of all the Avengers, while Black Panther has an identity and power that has its own secret.

The movie is great in every area and while the length of the movie may seem long, nothing ever stalls or lingers, unlike Batman vs. Superman.  In fact, i would say the most intriguing aspect of the film is the idea of leadership and who is really “in charge” of the Avengers.  Hint: it will never be the government.  Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. own their respective characters, and their scenes together are truly magical and the reason we go to the movies:  to see characters we care about struggling with ideals and identity.   Throughout the Marvel films, we have known Captain America not only is the leader of the Avengers, but he is symbolic of heroes in general:  they fight for the weak and sacrifice their lives for others.  That’s what we all want, need and even wish we could be.  Tony Stark, in this film, truly becomes a leader, but cannot usurp Captain America, and it is because he cannot over come the character and man, Steve Rogers.  Iron Man knows he is responsible for casualties, weapons and a dysfunctional family heritage, but wants to take responsibility and be accountable.  But Steve Rogers has always had character and leadership qualities that make him a man people want to follow; they know he is willing to sacrifice for something he believes in, whereas Stark, even though he yearns for accountability, has to manufacture it or hire someone for them to follow him.  The fight these men go through against each other is both personal, as well as symbolic of who they are and wish to become, ideas that the Batman vs. Superman could not even scratch.
As the film closes, the “bad guy” is told that his plot has failed, and with a wink, he asks the best question, one audiences will be asking as future films are released: “Did I [fail]?”  Knowing the team is split, hurt and completely at odds means that only a fight against the all mighty Thanos can bring them all back together.

Batman vs. Superman...it's a long one

Batman vs. Superman Review

So…all the hype…and the movie has now come and gone.  If we bottom line this, i think everyone is asking, is the movie any good?  Well, in my humble opinion, it is an average film that wants and tries to do more.  For what its worth, no, it is not the Avengers.  The Avengers seemed to have fun.  This film is not sure what it is, who the main focus should be on, and what it is trying to say.  With the Avengers, Joss Whedon kept things simple:  Have a solid bad guy, but just enjoy watching these classic characters fight together.  With Batman vs. Superman, Zach Synder seems unsure as to what he wants the film to be about because he has so many “teasers” for future movies, as well as confusing motives that i’m unsure of what the film is trying to be.  If it is a film about Batman fighting Superman, there is very little of that after a lot of build up.  If it is a film that is setting up a huge battle against a foe casual moviegoers will not recognize, it does this, but is very vague, which leaves the original question:  what is this film?

The basic plot everyone will recognize from the trailers that show up on countless websites:  Batman does not trust the power of Superman, since he can wipe out all of humanity, so Bruce Wayne decides that the safest thing he can do is steal some Kryptonite and kill Superman.  What he doesn’t know, along with Superman, is that he is a pawn in the schemes of Lex Luther.  Eventually, these two powerful comic characters battle head to head, but ultimately team up to stop a weird alien known as Doomsday.  The actors are solid, but truly, the script doesn’t give any of them much meat.  Most movie-goers were very concerned about Ben Affleck taking on the role as Batman in light of the masterpieces that Christian Bale got to star in, but he does okay as an older, aging Bat.  Henry Cavil, i’m convinced, has the right body, look and feel for the “new generation” of Superman fans, but just doesn’t get to do much other than look forelorn, as if he is trying to make us feel the burden of being a superhero.  This kind of acting may be difficult, I don’t know, but Chris Evans, Christian Bale and even Robert Downey Jr. seem able to carry this weight more effectively.   The actor who is having fun, or trying to make the film fun is Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, who many know from the fun film “Now you See Me.”  Many critics have panned his performance and i’m confused as to why, as he is the only one that has any ideas about the world and is willing to try and speak about things.  What Lex is missing is motive.  Yes, comic book fans will know his motives, but in the film he just wants to destroy two hero’s and we don’t know why, other than veiled discussions about his father’s physical abuse towards him when he was a child.  That is pretty thin, but Jesse gives it his all, seems to know, wrestle with and argue about what or who is God;  and if there is a God, do we know if he can be all good and just?  As a casual fan, i find it interesting that as Lex wrestles with these complexities, unsure of what is truth, he heads more towards evil, sin or the “darkside,” the truly cool part about the film.  Darkseid will be the next villain in this film franchise, but for casual moviegoers, after the film you may expect the villain to be Satan himself, but that is part of the conundrum of this film:  Is it a fight between two great hero’s OR merely a vehicle that Warner Bros. is using to set up a parallel universe that will “marvel” Marvel?  Because Zach Synder is unsure or is trying to do too much, the film feels bloated and leaves the actors grasping at air in a lot of places.  All of them truly are wrestling with deep things, but they either don’t know where to go with them or aren’t sure what their role is.  Again, is this the fault of the actor, director, or the script they are given?

It is well known that Zach Synder is a comic book devotee and die-hard when it comes to bringing “visual flair” to his projects (no matter one’s thoughts on Watchmen, it had flair), but he truly seems unable to write decent dialogue in any capacity.  From “Dawn of the Dead,” to “300,” it’s as if all of his projects have dialogue that can only be used in the trailers.  After watching Batman vs. Superman, i truly felt that i had “seen” all the important conversations watching the trailer and not the actual movie.  And this isn’t a one time thing.  His other films have the same vibe to them: “This is Sparta!!!”  Under certain circumstances, this may not be a problem, just look at Michael Bay and all the money he can bring in with the Transformer films.  But he also brings in a ton of action and different style for the action, while Synder has yet to show any growth as a filmmaker, especially when it comes to dialogue and actual conversations.  When Superman meets up with Batman, it is slightly painful, instead of awe-inspiring:  “Next time your light shines, don’t go to it.”   “Tell me…do you bleed?”   Wow.  Real page turning stuff here.  (Sarcastic voice) I can’t understand why Leonardo got his Oscar for the Revenant.
Bottom line:  it is a long film that should have been edited by 10-15 minutes, and will leave many questioning what took place or where the franchise is headed.  The only thing that is certain with this movie is the fact that it made enough money  ($168 mil opening weekend) to justify the hype and ensure more films with these characters.  For some movie goers that’s enough and that’s what going to the movies is all about.  For others, “of all the words of paper and pen, the worst, what might have been.”
2.5 out of 5

2015 top 10 music picks

Notable that I couldn’t squeeze in: Beach House “Cherry Depression” AND “Thank your Lucky Stars”— Most people are grateful if their band releases 1 album every year, which is considered working hard, in addition to touring. This is certainly understandable. Until you run into the great Beach House. These Baltimore songwriters have dream pop down to an amazing science. But 2 albums?! Yes, they are good. Yes, you should buy them and let the music drip through your soul.

Oh yeah, their other albums are stunning too! You can’t go wrong.

 

10-Tenement “Predatory Highlights”—The first album i had listened to that was inspired by a Grantland article, the now canceled website that ESPN sponsored. I was drawn to their low profile and the lead singer openly stating that it did not matter if they went big or simply improved their sound; it was about the music and specifically, punk. What? Every band seems to want to go big, which is why you become a band. Not these boys, who hail from Wisconsin. This double disc concept album has some head scratching moments, but also has bona-fide style, skill and punk. They sound like Offspring paired with the Pixies, but who really cares when they sound this good. Check out all their albums on band camp and be impressed. They seem to put out music at an incredible rate.

 

9-Sleater Kinney “No Cities to Love"—Fellow Portland female punk/rockers simply dominate on their first album in 10 years. I had not heard of Sleater Kinnney, but instead, had encountered the members in a side project known as Wild Flag, which also rocked, but is several years old now. Anyway, these ladies may be extreme left-leaning feminists, but man, do they know how to rock! “It’s not the weather, it’s the cities we love” is a great anthem for every touring band that cares about their listeners. When you listen to the rest of their canon, you can’t help but be impressed by their passion, urgency and sheet talent. Keep it up ladies!

 

8-Dustin Kensrue—“Carry the Fire”--I must admit this: Out of all the albums on this list, i have listened to this one the most. Part of that is because i love Dustin Kenrsue and his main band—Thrice. However, he is the worship pastor at Mars Hill and his solo work is down right catchy. He has a way of writing about the sin and darkness in our hearts in such a powerful way that you can’t help but feel convicted as you sing along. I saw him in Portland for an amazing show, but what blew everyone away was his Encore rendition of Tom Waits “Down by the Train.” WOW! As for the album, “Gallows” is stunning, as are the other songs. “Back to Back” & “Carry the Fire” leave the listener feeling as if they have been carried along by the spirit of friends or God.

 

7-Lauren Daigle—If you want the literal Christian Adele, then you have Lauren Daigle. I had not heard Lauren until my wife went into labor, and she had made a “Pregnant Playlist.” Well, Lauren Daigle was on it…for all 12 hours of labor. Guess what? The songs never got old. In fact, they were inspiring and perfect for the pregnant moment. The nursing staff even made comments about her powerful voice and message, which was an inadvertent testimony to the glory of God. All the must be said about Lauren: Amazing voice! Buy the album.

 

6-Royal Headache “High"

This band needs no introduction. But know this: they may not get back together, which would be tragic, because Shogun, yes, Shogun, needs a band to plead his case to “Carolina.” This is punk that has heart, the perfect frontman and an urgency for the little things in life.

 

 

5-Wolf Alice “My Love is Cool"

I was excited when writing this, because about a day before i started writing, Wolf Alice was nominated for a Grammy, which is awesome because they simply rock. I am totally biased because i got to see them in Portland and meet them after the set, which is always great when you drive 3 hours to see a band perform But, their songs are catchy, fun and show a lot of variety in their craft. Many will compare or link them to the band Chvrches simply because they are both from across “the pond,” but this is misleading because Wolf Alice are very much about rock, whereas their counterparts Chvrches are more pop oriented. Check out what all the fuss is about before they take over the world.

 

4-Car Seat Headrest “Teens of Style"

I must admit: when i first heard this music (aka Will Toledo), i was not completely sure what i had encountered. I knew i didn’t hate it. It was certainly unlike anything i had ever experienced. If you were to combine the Strokes with vocals that sound like a walkie-talkie, then you would have 10% of Car Seat Headrest. What makes this discovery or album unique is the fact that Will Toledo has been releasing albums for years, despite only being in his early 20s. A look at Bandcamp will unlock other great albums that he wrote, played and produced all himself. It is great that he finally has a label (Matador) to back up his output and ambitions. I look forward to seeing him play in Eugene in a month.

 

My Top 3 could go in any direction…i can’t honestly make up my mind...

 

3-Titus Andronicus “The Most Lamentable Tragedy"

The underground knew of this brilliant, depressed, magical maniac, but it wasn’t until July of this year that I discovered Titus (aka Patrick Stickles). What makes this music top 3? Simple: his latest genius is 29 songs that compile a double album. In an age when all we hear is Coldplay or Adele and the latest “produced in a lab” sound, it is refreshing to encounter 29 songs that have urgency, tell a story AND actually say something about life. After listening to The Most Lamentable Tragedy, i researched the band and discovered this kind of musical brilliance had been expanded, since the band had already written an epic in the form of a civil war biography of sorts with their previous album The Monitor. Anyway…there is a total abandonment in search of honesty in regards to what Patrick struggles with in life, and that should help people in a musical form, which is refreshing.

 

2-Beach Slang “The Things We Do to Find People Like Us"

Speaking of urgency and life’s struggles, what if there were a band that worshiped rock and the experience one can have when listening to music? Oh wait, there is such a band. Beach Slang.

I read about this band right before the website Grantland was shut down by ESPN, thereby making it the last review the site ever did. Boy, did they go out with an amazing band. First, Beach Slang nail what rock (in its essence) must do: be catchy, urgent and life affirming (in a sense) because we are listening to ROCK. How can one be “down” when listening to rock? Beach Slang unequivcally say, “That is not possible!” Second, this band has some amazing lines: “The night is alive” “Sounds that are made are barely rehearsed,” “California is full of porno love” AND the best ever, “Good love is not SAFE"

 

Third: They just enjoy playing because they know you will enjoy listening, so just be enraptured by the beauty.

 

1-Hop Along “Painted Shut"

I saw this band on NPR and simply listened because their name is “different." I was hooked instantly. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the first song is “The Knock” and Frances Quinlan singing, “The witness just wants to TAAAALLLLKKKKK to you.” So catchy! But that’s just the beginning of this excellent record. Painted Shut whisks along with songs that just make sense, are in the perfect order and just hit new notes/ideas and visuals for stunning consistency. Many have commented on the singles, but my favorite song is “I Saw my Twin” which plays or pays homage to “West Virginiaaaaaaaa” and you can’t help but sing along to the urgency of the south.

 

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2 types of fear

Every person struggles with and is afraid of something. Spiders, snakes or needles, we all struggle and are scared of something. As Tonya and I continue to read books that prepare our hearts for parenting, we learned that there are 6 types of fear that dictate the theology of parents and how they raise their kids: Fear of everything, Behavior Modification, Image control, High Control, Herd Mentality, Duct Tape, 911 support. It is sad that we are all susceptible to letting our fears dictate following Christ or how we raise our children, but it is nonetheless apparent, relevant and costly. But there is good news: The Bible discusses 2 kinds of "FEAR" that are essential to raising one’s children. The word "fear" in the Bible, for a majority of the time, refers to two kinds of attitudes, or mentality that we must have: a humble, respect to His almighty power, or a "be scared to death of His power because He is God." Both are powerful and can be seen in how a parent discusses God with their children. In Proverbs, the word "fear" is used over 40 times and is the central theme to the book. In fact, without the "fear of the Lord" one is considered a fool that will soon find his own folly because of sin and an imperfect view of God. If we bottom line all this, it would be that the "fear of the Lord" (in both a respect, as well as a terrified sense) and a relationship with Christ is so closely linked that it is virtually synonymous with living for Him. Parents must teach their children to fear—both respect God’s power over their lives, as well as tremble at His power. In fact, kids should fear (be terrified) the consequences of their sin because it is unacceptable to a holy God. We seem to have lost the fear of God (in both uses of the word) and replaced it with a fear of offending another.

 

To our child, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We began to pray that we would train you to fear the Lord, to lean on that healthy fear, because "The fear of the lord is a fountain of life" (proverbs 14:27)

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Parenting Fear: Boldly Go!

We continued our journey towards your dedication by praying for something unusual: Courage. For some reason, our society deems courage much differently than in years past. However, all parents would agree that there must be an element of courage when raising children, as there is so much "out there" that can destroy or steal a child's innocence. At this point, many parents may observe the world/society and be scared of what their child must encounter, which can dictate a spirit of fear in parents, as well as form the theology of how they raise their child. This is why Tonya and I began praying not just for courage in raising our young one, but a spirit of engagement, grace and joy and that counters the fear that can render many families, even Godly ones, to cower and withdraw from society. The Bible is filled with countless verses for believers, verses that should not just encourage, but renew vitatity in a parent. Paul writes to the Romans that because of Christ dying for our sin, the Gospel ("Good News") is the very power of God (literally "dynamite") that completely alters family dynamics: "For i am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation..." (Romans 1:16). Families and parents should no longer fear the world or a hedonistic society, but instead, cling to the power of almighty God with extreme delight and boldness. We prayed that God would see our hearts, our hard work, and as we teach the Word to you, God would bless us with boldness and courage to face the unknown, "because God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self control" (2 Timothy 1:7).

To our child, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We began to pray that as we walk "through the valley of the shadow of death, we (your parents) would fear no evil because GOD is with us. His rod and staff, they will comfort us" (Psalm 23: 4).

 

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Cultivation

We continued our journey towards your dedication by praying for something unusual:  cultivation.  To cultivate is to prepare the soil for growth.  In Luke 8, Jesus tells a parable about a sower who sowed on four different types of soil: rocky, shallow, thorny and good.  Since we prayed for our home last week--that it would be a place where God would be Bethel ("God is Here")-- it was obvious to us that this cannot take place in the child God has blessed us with unless we have cultivated our own hearts, as well as our marriage.  When one cultivates a garden, there are many elements that lead to the soil producing an excellent crop, the most vital being water and sun.  And so we prayed for our relationship with God to be cultivated, that our marriage and hearts would be knit together, as close as the sun and the water are when cultivating a garden.  We prayed that God would see our hearts, our hard work, and as we teach the Word to you, God would reach down and save you from "hardness of heart."  We prayed that you would respond with gladness and conviction of heart, because your heart has been cultivated by the living God, bringing you to a full understanding of his demonstrated love "that while you were still sinning, Christ died for you" (Romans 5:8).

To our child, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We began to pray that as we begin the greatest job we have ever taken up, our hearts would be cultivated by the grace of God, that you would be part of the cherished crop that produces "a harvest that yielded a hundred times more than what was sown" (Luke 8:8). 

To our baby..."Bethel"

We continued to pray for you last night.  We prayed for our home, that it would be a place of love, nurturing, guidance, laughter, teaching and discipline.  Those are all essential elements of a childhood, life and family, but they are also vital components to the one thing God longs to build and bless: a home.  We prayed for our future home last night.  As the family and home is attacked and destroyed in America, we prayed not just for God’s blessing on our home, but for our lives within to be blessed with "Bethel."  “Bethel” in the Old Testament is seen in many passages, but significantly in Genesis 28, when Jacob realizes the faithfulness of God and says, this rock and place will be known as “Bethel,” which means “God is here.”  We prayed that God would be in our home, that other people, friends and relatives would long to be in our house because "God is here."

To our growing little one, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We began to pray that as we begin the greatest and most difficult job we have ever encountered, we prayed for a unified home, one that has the literal presence and blessing of God, because “unless the Lord builds the house, you labor in vain."

To our baby

We began this long journey known as "parenting" by praying for you last night. We prayed for consistency in being Godly parents, but more importantly, we prayed for your focus. We are not referring to a medical or educational focus, but a Godly focus, one that is "yachad," which is Hebrew for "United; undivided." You will be born into an amazing and powerful world, one that has reshaped many things and advanced the world because of technology. With great freedom comes a haunting realization that there are many distractions amongst our powerful country. Only those who are united in their pursuit of the fear of the Lord and His word will one truly leave a legacy. A "divided" heart throughout the Bible refers to those who are "split; hypocritical; uncertain," people that have too much on their "plate" and rarely have any conviction or life purpose. Why? It's simple. They are distracted.

And so, precious little one, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play. No my precious one. We prayed that we would have a united marriage, a united family and home, a united focus on the Gospel, a united, consistent focus on "things above, not on things of this earth" (Col 3:2). We prayed that you would be blessed from above with a united heart for the things of God, that you would seek Him with all your heart, that conviction of sin would stem from this united heart, and that you would "humble yourself in the sight of God, and He will lift you up" (James 4:10).

Mad Max: Fury Road

I couldn’t help but think of Tim Allen and his constant grunts of manly masculism on the TV show “Home Improvement” when watching the adrenaline soaked movie “Mad Max: Fury Road.”  There will be a lot of “Tool Time” grunts, as this movie has so much testosterone and adrenaline, theatres should install seatbelts and some kind of hydration system when watching the film.  Your heart will beat from excitement, suspense and pure enjoyment.  The film is go…go…GOOOOOO the whole 2 hours.  And it totally ROCKS in every way! 

I must confess, I am not big into CGI movies, the effects thereof, or their smaller counterpart “the car chase scene.”  Personally, if I don’t care about the characters or what is taking place, I don’t care what things look like in regards to action sequences.  This is what I find so troubling about the uselessness that is the “Transformers” films.  Combine this with the FACT  that the movie “Bullit,” with the legendary Steve McQueen, has the pinnacle of all car chase scene, I ask  “why bother with new car chase scenes?”  “The Fast and the Furious” series is fun, as are those “Bourne” car chase scenes, but, I don’t know…something is missing.  For me, car chases boil down to a vibe I can’t shake, the  “I swear I’ve seen this before” vibe.  So, it was with a bit of an exaggerated sigh and the knowledge that Frank Miller goes “all out in his films” that I prematurely sat down to watch and review his reinterpretation/continuation of the Max franchise.  To be blunt:  I was wrong, this movie ROCKS!

The movie is set in an apocalyptic America or country that is full of sand and little else.  Water and gasoline are vital to those that have survived.  Max is a part of this life and he has lost his family, the scars still haunting him as he wanders the wasteland.  The movie pays homage to “The Book of Eli,” “Indiana Jones,” and “Star Wars” in regards to the spiritual wasteland and the losteness of souls that have survived.  Within minutes of seeing nothing but sand and Max briefly talking, he is captured and used as a body hostage that hosts blood.  His captors are employed by a villain named Immortan Joe, who has water supplies and gasoline, which he uses  to enslave many.  This is very similar to Gary Oldman’s role in “Book of Eli,” as both men use the resources they have to enslave thousands.  Joe is “packaged” by various forms of body armor and masks in order to preserve the religion he has created, one that has him as a demi-god.

After Max is captured, Immorten Joe quickly sends his crew (“War Boys” they are called) on a typical supply, gasoline, water run in order to keep this society humming along.  However, during this trip, Furiosa (played by Charlize Theron) takes the “War Rig” truck off road, heading east.  The rest of the crew she is traveling with assumes she knows where she is going and what she is doing.  However, Immorten Joe soon finds out she is headed east because Furiosa is trying to free Joe’s five wives, who just happen to be introduced to us via classic “woman using water for car washing purposes” (a.k.a. “Cool Hand Luke”).  It is on this retrieval trip that Max is perched upon a small Volkswagen, as the driver is using his blood.  When a sandstorm causes massive collateral car damage, Max barely survives, and meets up with Furiosa and her ladies.

Max is played by Tom Hardy, a rising star that rose to prominence as the vicious villain Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises.”  Sadly, for the first part of the film, he wears a mask, like Bane, and says very little that is understandable.  I’m unsure why Hardy is growing as an actor when he is difficult to understand.   I’m not saying he isn’t relatable or horrible, just hard to understand.  Frankly, he looks and acts a bit like Jeremy Renner (a.k.a. Hawkeye in the Avengers) is many of his roles, but I digress.   Hardy finally gets his mask off and then does little talking, so in some sense, it doesn’t matter.  Heck, the car chases are why people will go to see this.  And the car chase scenes deliver in every sense.  They are chaotic, crazy, impossible and believable all in one scene.  I am truly stunned that the cars look as believable as they do, as you know when thing are happening, there has to be CGI involved, yet it doesn’t take away from the wonderment you will experience when watching.  This film is perfect for IMAX.

While we never get to know Immorten Joe or why he has these breeders as wives, we do get a chance to know and love Furiosa.  She doesn’t steal the show, but is amazing throughout.  Critics have loved the versatility of Charlize Theron for years, as she can do so many parts well that it is hard to know where her specialty lies.   From comedy in “Arrested Development” to her well deserved Oscar, she can do it all, and now she has a huge win that falls in the “action” category.  Her eyes always exhibit calm, yet she shows tender grace to her lost family and extreme hatred towards Joe for her years of indentured service.  Her dedication to the part is commendable, as is her shaved head and lost arm. 

There are many critics that have viewed this film, enjoyed it, and seem to think that the story is ultimately a feminist story, one that empowers women and shows they are tough and can fight and “hang” with men, as they are the ones that overthrow Joe and will now rule instead.  While there are certain moments of great feminine strength and beauty, Max is always involved, as is the underrated Nick Hoult (of Beast fame from X-Men), making the story one of team work, hope and redemption.  I’m confused as to why critics must label something “feminine” or “feminist” in order to make a film great, when that has nothing to do with the overall enjoyment of this particular film.  Technically, this film was directed by Frank Miller, who did the “Sin City” franchise, one that mistreats, hurts and leaves most women in the “wait for man to save them” stage.  In this film, while the ladies have more action and freedom, the entire world revolves around testosterone and cars, which, traditionally, are male activities.  Just enjoy the film because it is a great film, with great car chase scenes, and excellent respect among the leads.

Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

I, like millions of Americans the past few weeks, have gone to see the biggest movie of the year, aside from the coming onslaught known as Star Wars. And i, like others, have waited with baited breath for the Avengers to fight side by side destroying another cosmic force. So, for those who haven't seen it, i offer my humble thoughts on the film, and for those who have, my humble thoughts that hopefully coincide with the movie. To keep things simple, i will review the film in the form of an interview, with big questions serving as the fulcrum to the review.
Before beginning, just know that the movie revolves around the Avengers fighting an entity known as Ultron, which is simply a program that Tony Stark created, but with humanities first encounter with Artificial Intelligence that actually grows, learns and adapts to any of its opponents. When Ultron comes alive and believes that the greatest threat to mankind is the Avengers, well, he obviously must adapt and try and destroy them in order to preserve mankind. So, Iron Man, there is a glitch in the system.

Is the movie better, worst or okay in comparison to the first?
This is the one question everyone really wants to know when going to this film. First, no one will hate this film. Some may be a bit disappointed, as it is simply missing "X" when compared to the first one, but for all the characters and action scenes, as well as a solid plot, it does a solid, albeit repetitive job when compared to the first. By "repetitive" i simply mean, action, discussion, long reflection of characters, more action, repeat.

Who are the new characters?
In some sense, the movie has and introduces too many characters. Yet, the nerd in me says, "How can that be bad?" But i digress. The movie features two very prominent characters: Scarlet Witch (who can manipulate minds and throw plasmic beams of energy at people) and her twin brother Quicksilver (who can run so fast time seems to slow down). The movie also features Vision (Jarvis in a "free" from his computer based reality into an actual body, with an infinity stone in his head) and a few others (Falcon, War Machine, etc.). While these characters start off as "bad" they come to join the fight against Ultron.

Which Avenger is the most important in this film?
In the first film, you had a build up of other Marvel films leading to the Avengers teaming up, but Captain America clearly being the guy to unite the team and really, the country. In this one, the movie does a good job poking fun at the weaknesses of the Avengers through humor, from Thor's hammer to Iron Man's pride, the movie is playful towards these weaknesses, until Ultron exposes the weaknesses for his own purposes. While Hawkeye is given moments to prove sacrifice and family are vital to team members, (as he is the only one that has these things), the movie still revolves around Captain America. As Stark stares him down, angry that his pride has been used against him yells at Cap, "You can't trust someone that doesn't have a dirty past." Captain America still has the focus of protection, sacrifice, and serving others as his main moral code, and it unites and has the respect of others. While Hulk is given screen time to struggle with his identity and ability to do good in a horrible, green, angry, body, he cannot start a relationship with Black Widow due to his fear of hurting her and others. This is the one major flaw of the movie, but you ultimately have to respect Josh Weadon for trying: He has so many fun and great characters he wants to give time to, as well as develop, it is just hard and can hurt the flow of the movie. Hulk dating Black Widow comes out of nowhere, yet you aren't upset because "Hey, this could work." At the same time this is ongoing, you have the relationships of the other characters, so there just isn't enough "room" for them all. AND, let's not forget this is all leading to the biggest Marvel plot point of all the comics: THANOS and the gauntlet! The word "HUGE" is an understatement when discussing this character and plot point that will be coming in 2017. If he is not given screen time, motive and purpose, the next films will be "big" in name only, as Thanos is a beast and has tons of "villainy" potential. James Spader does a great job as Ultron, but he must be small to whoever dons the Thanos hat. Right now, it is a toss up between several main actors, so stay tuned.

Why does Iron Man fight Hulk?
Believe it or not, Iron Man is not controlled by Ultron when he fights Hulk. It is a great action bit that does not linger into useless Transfomer action. Instead, Iron Man is trying to overcome a mystical spell that has been cast on the Hulk. Just enjoy the mayhem. Again, more fun jokes.

What's with the end of the film?
The end of the film, with the new Avengers and Vision, are VITAL to the series. Ultimately, Vision has an infinity stone in his head, one of the gems that has cosmic power in it (which Guardians of the Galaxy and first Avengers films discussed), which Thanos (a cosmic evil being) wants for his own purposes. No joke: earth is nothing when compared to these gems. Thanos wants eternal and cosmic rule over everything and the only way to get it is to have the gauntlet and gems. Obviously, that can't and doesn't happen in the comics.

Bottom Line: This movie just works for every age and sex. It isn't so action oriented that you begin to think, "Hey, this is just the Transformers with a better cast" for which i am totally relieved. Second, if you have someone in your party that isn't in to "chic flicks" or "Action" this movie has you covered. As a soon to be father, i can honestly say, "Yes, there are some dark moments, but language is tame and good guys teaming up to fight pure evil would lead me to take my 10 year old son." While you may be a bit bummed it isn't the first one, you won't leave hating or regretting the two hour run time.

7 out of 10
Nerd in me review: 10 out of 10!!!! (I have the Pez of those guys)

-to god be the glory for great things he has done!

Goals

Pastor Mike and i just returned home from a 3 day conference on prayer, church and goals. I have gone to the conference twice and while the material is fairly similar, the importance and "freshness" of the experience is great. I was stoked to go with Pastor Mike, as we have spent a lot of time together in prayer, but we had never gone to a conference together. When i went 3 years ago, i was excited to implement what i had learned, praying that it would impact my life more, making me a better teacher and man. This time, I'm pleased to say, that both Pastor Mike and I have come back with a renewed sense of what God is pushing us towards, as well as setting up some goals for church and personal growth. Folks, it is impossible to separate this list from the fact that our Awana leaders have been praying for "Revival" in Glide for the past 2 years. While i can't put Pastor Mike's goals up, I am pleased to give my goals for 2015. The rules: You have to have one B-HAG ("Big Hairy Audacious Goal") that pushes you, along with 2-5 spiritual goals...and one CANNOT be "pray with my wife" OR "I'm going to read my Bible more." Goals must be written down and yet remain flexible to life circumstances that could come up. Since we are expecting our first child in September, we have plenty of goals for our child, therefore, i'm slightly excluding those until the baby is born (BTW, we will not be discovering the sex). With that said, here they are...


1 Half marathon each month= 12 for the year (Have already done 2 in Jan.)
Run North Bank Road before baby (My marathon this year--17 miles)
Preach 1 Sunday a month
Read 2 Verses before each meal with Tonya
Read 6 parenting books, 3 with Tonya
Blog 1 per week (25 movie reviews in the year)
15 minutes of prayer a day
52 sermon illustrations
40 pushups and 5 minute "plank" by end of year
Read 2 Theology Books
Learn Baby "lingo" (sleeper, receiving blanket, etc.)
1 journal entry by Tonya and I per month
52 thank you letters
1 new recipe a month

Heading towards the "Big Goal": Don't have to act like i feel


There is an "end point" to my goals. It is an inside joke, but everyone knows i married way above and beyond my league by being blessed with Tonya. What most folks don't know is that she has quite litearlly never gotten angry. Despite a job that works with people and being married to me, she has
never once been angry. So, my goals this year, both physical and spiritual, are aimed at being more Christ like in example as seen by my wife--to not act like a i feel. While i have gotten angry and said things i haven't, i have never seen such a godly example of self control with one's emotions. Therefore, i am dedicating 10 minutes every morning to simple prayer of this goal, to "not act like i feel." I would like to go one year without getting angry. To be clear, this is different than frustrated or annoyed. Those are different.

There they are...i hope they inspire you, dear reader, to put your own goals down...When you have goals and they are written down, they inform you as to where you want to go, a dart board that you can actually hit. Without them, you can easily forget what you did last year, and can be unsure of what you wish to accomplish this year.

-to god be the glory for great things he has done!

To Our Child

We began praying for you last night. Of course we prayed to be good parents and godly people you would be proud of, but most importantly, we prayed for you and your salvation.  You will be born into an amazing and powerful world, one that has reshaped many things and advanced the world because of technology.  And that is part of the problem.  We prayed for you, as Jesus did, that you would lead and live in a world that is directly opposed to the things of Christ.  We rationalize and scheme in our hearts, denying that we are, in fact, sinful, fallen beings.  When the prophet Jeremiah wrote that "the heart is decietful and desperately wicked, who can understand it?" there is a sense that even this verse cannot adequetly describe how bad a human being can truly be or become.  So, we began praying for you, and for the salvation that is so freely available to you; for the salvation that can change your life and eternal destination.  We prayed that you would be so amazed by the love God has for you, that HE, seeing your broken and evil intent in your heart (as well as ours),  sent His son, Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for that sin. We prayed that you would be filled with that love, and in faith, turn your life completely over to Christ.  That you would worship, fear and serve His mighty hand and power.

As your parents, we began praying for revival.  We prayed that the Lord would change and "bring to life" our passion for His word, for His direction and His priorities.  Without His revival in our lives, "we labor in vain" in raising you.  It pains me to say this, but i will fail many times in raising you, and i need help, plain and simple.  I need God.  I need His word.  I need His revivial if i am to lead you to the things of God.

To our child, we did not pray for your education, your friends or even what sport you would play.   No my precious one.  We began to pray that you would KNOW "it is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the atoning sacrafice for our sins.  If God so loved us, we ought to love one another."

God working, movie review and prediction!

Most folks send out Christmas greetings and a card for the end of the year festivities.  Since I am currently unsure of what to tell folks in a generic letter, I thought I would do so via a typical blog.

2014 has been a solid, up and down year, as most typically are.  My wife and I have grown and learned a lot.  The biggest highlights would fall under the category of “God working--get out of His way.”  In February, as Tonya and I were helping YMI train students that were headed to the mission field, we found ourselves with the opportunity to go on our first mission trip as a married couple.  We were originally headed to Ukraine, but obviously, with bombings and plane issues, we were rescheduled to South Korea.  While many will say, “the mission trip changed my life,” I will merely say with a ton of enthusiasm, the trip left a huge impact on my life.  I want students to go on these trips, to be prepared—thoroughly—by training, bible study and fundraising.  I want to feel the physical exhaustion of helping another culture learn the most about God and His word as possible.  I want to take as many students from Glide on a mission trip as possible.  And I want to learn more about my wife that I am unable to do so when in the states.  There is something unique about being on foreign soil that is hard to quantify or grasp unless you go.  I am now one of those privileged few that has seen God working in another country and am blown away by our great Creator.

When it comes to ministry, again, an up and down year.  But, with the UP, it has been WAY UP!  In Awana, as leaders, we simply began the year with prayer and one word on every leaders lips:  Revival!  When looking at the Bible, almost every use of revival comes through God’s word, as well as the literal power of God coming down upon an area or people.  When reading Psalm 119, we can see that only God’s Word will revive—bring to life—someone.  Not programs, not cool furniture or a hip youth pastor.  Only the power of God’s word!  So, as Awana leaders, Tonya and I simply served food once a month for the 6 months of Awana with the express purpose of leaders praying for Revival.  That the Spirit of God would come down upon us as we worked with each child, that the WORD would complete revive that dead soul and make it alive for Christ.  What happened?  (Preface—I’m the first to say that “numbers” for any church program can be manipulated or tweaked to mean whatever or stay very ambiguous.  However, this was clearly God...)  We had over 80% book completion, which our Awana missionary Ed Gossien will say, is nearly unheard of.  We had a physical increase in attendance, as well as an increase in leader and parent participation.  My personal favorite: we had 9 kids go to Awana camp in June, our highest margin by far.  Out of that, we have 3 students that have signed up to go on a mission trip through YMI.  To quote Henry Blackaby, “there is never a shortage of resources when the presence of God comes upon a people.”  We literally experienced that this past Awana year.  Obviously, we are praying that the Lord would bless us this year, which so far, He has.  As I reflect on this “event,” to think of a home filled with people praying for children, parents and their salvation, I’m humbled and blessed to know and feel what the early church felt like.  They ate, prayed and then got back out there for Jesus.

On a personal level (not like the other events are not “personal," but I digress…), I was able to complete 2 more marathons with my sister.  I’m very blessed by her willingness to give up her time (running and literal) for me, as well as train for a very different and slow runner.  While I did not have issues staying hydrated as in races past, I did well in Tacoma, WA, but not so well in Sacramento.  So, that can only mean, I have to try to do another one for a better time.  Tonya and I continue to try to work out and stay in shape as best we can.  We love playing basketball at the local high school with the teachers…it has been great for relationship building with these students, to see them in a different life.

Since I enjoy movies and reviewing them, I have to throw in one final movie for the year, as well as a  Top ten list and pet peeve about movies currently be promoted by Hollywood.  I’m not sure which, so I will do a combination of both.

First, The Hobbit.  I hate to say it, so I will ask:  Is anyone else sick of seeing Middle Earth?  I mean, the first 3  films were solid and came out and made sense and then were done.  Since then, man, there have been video games and posters and conferences and rumors….AND 3 more movies that have very little to do with the quick, excellent novel called the Hobbit.  In fact, while the movie is solid (you will not regret going), I find something interesting going on in Hollywood recently:  Calling something one thing, but adding way too much to it that the original would be insulted.  For example, I took our youth group to Noah and Exodus.  The movies were great for getting discussions going in regards to what the Bible (the actual manuscript from God) actually said.  However, that is about it.  They weren’t great films and by deviating so much from the original material of the books, the movies  were actually worst.  Noah had a guy build a boat and he was named Noah, but that is it when it comes to what Hollywood took from the Bible.  Same could be said of Exodus, only worst.  There was a white guy name Mo- something,  and there were some plagues in it, but even that is pushing it.  Why deviate so much from the Bible?  When it comes to the Hobbit, why add so much more?  I mean, there were what, 4 major characters added to these films?  I understand that Hollywood wants money, but dang, this is pretty bad.  With that said, The Hobbit does a good job in all facets of action, CGI and story to move things along that you won’t hate going, but the nerd or purist in you will wonder, “Huh, this sure is long…I wonder why…”   3.5/5

My Top Ten movies of the year:

1—Despicable Me 2

2—How to Train your Dragon 2

3—Guardians of the Galaxy

4—The Equalizer

5—Captain America: Winter Solider

And to those who are still reading, hoping, with baited breath, for my prediction for what will come, here it is:  while 2015 will have ups and downs, as all years do, there is one thing that will trump all:  Tonya and I will be welcoming our first child into the world sometime in August, thereby being the greatest present and gift we could ever have.  Here’s to the new year!

Vainglory...the excellent IOS MOBA game

      As many of my friends know, I am not what you would call a "gamer."  Yes, I love board games, but I seem to be unable to take that "skill" to the TV and video games.  I have my moments, like when I beat the Nintendo Wii Playground Games series, or when I beat Red Dead Redemption.  However, the victories are few and far between.  In fact, unless students are over hanging out, I rarely play video games by myself...or with Tonya.  I usually relegate myself to a few moments passing the time on a various app or Sukoou puzzle on my Ipad.  But, on November 17th, all that changed. The game Vainglory came out, and changed how I view my Ipad and games in general.  It isn't that it "came out" as in was launched, so much as it "came off my Ipad/Iphone screen" and demanded attention.

  "Vainglory" falls into the genre known as MOBA, or Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, where players compete 3 vs. 3 for supremacy of land.  Basically, a fancy way of saying they are playing "Capture the Flag."  In this case, the "flag" is the crystal that your team must destroy.  However, before this can be destroyed, your team must make its way down the "lane" destroying small minions and turrets that are protecting the enemies territory. This genre, as i just discovered, has been famous for years, made popular by League of Legends, which can be played on the PC.  Anyway, what makes the gameplay fun is the fact that everyone starts at "ground zero" in their abilities every single game.  Yes, you may have played and know how to use certain items, but you are not, by default, more powerful at the start of a game than a noob like me.  We all must gain experience points throughout the game in order to buy more items and better weapons and defense equipment.

      While League of Legends has hundreds of characters and countless/endless ways to join teams and make your way through a game, Vainglory keeps things simple, but unique.  For starters, having 10 characters that can slowly be earned and played for free (depending on the week), helps gain new players, while forcing the great players to focus on learning just a few characters.  In other words, it may upset the die-hards among us, having so few cahracters, but new players, like myself, quickly adapt to this new genre without feeling completely overwhelmed by too many choices.  Let me focus on how to play and which skill my character is proficient at.  Too many times, i am unable to play certain games because frankly, they require way too much time to learn the basics.  With Vainglory, it is easy to play, yet difficult to master.  But, after only 3 games, i truly felt like i was becoming a better player and teammate.  I may not be great, but when it comes to team games, i have always had the motto, "I don't want to cost my team the game when i play."  With Vainglory, that quickly became the case, as i was dying less,  finding specific points where i could get easy kills or assists without worrying about dying.  This is huge when it comes to attracting new players, as well as giving confidence to the noobs among us.  Yes, kills must be hard to come by, but not at the expense that i give up quickly.  There will always be those players that do nothing but want "the kill" or stats that allegedly show one being a great player, but just remember, the point of the game is not kills, but to win.  When you win, you gain more "Karma" points, which helps you get into better and more intense games.
Vainglory was made specifically for the Apple release of the iPhone 6, which means the gameplay will be a lot different than the PC.  However, for the most part, Vainglory surpasses anything i thought could be done on a touchscreen device.  The controls are easy and the game quickly becomes second nature to any who play, yes, even the noobs like myself.  I had played, and still enjoy "Fates Forever," but Vainglory has quickly supplanted it.  Not only is it fun to play, but the graphics are truly amazing.  With the iPhone 6 Plus, the game actually looks and feels like true HD.  Having grown up with Atari and the original black and white Gameboy, i never thought a day would come when the device i'm holding looks better than my TV.  That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but we all have that moment when we realize what we possess is transcending time for just a brief moment.  For me, picking up this game and just looking at the lush colors and fun characters, and their idiosyncratic voice overs, was all i needed to enter that video game bliss so many dream about.

As for the actual playing of the game, not only are the graphics great, but gameplay is seamless and requires just tapping the screen to move around.  When you tap an enemy, your character will quickly move in and begin attacking automatically.  Where gamers need to be aware is the fact that these games will take at least 20 minutes to complete.  While this may not seem like much in the grand scheme of video games (Hello, Skyrim?), since the game is played on IOS devices like the phone and Ipad, whenever you have a call or text, however, this quickly can ruin or change how you are playing the game.  You will lose "Karma" points for leaving a game, no matter the circumstance and this will help prevent "AFKers" in future matches.  So, beware of which device you are using when playing as every little text or notification can truly impact your game, stats, and ultimately, victory. Otherwise, tap away fellow warriors.
Superevil Megacorp, the company that created Vainglory, apparently raised over $15 million to finance and get the game up and running.  Obviously, becoming the Keynote speaker or video demonstration as Apple releases the Iphone 6 will help anyone get on the business map.  But, these guys have taken the  principles of so many MOBA's and made one that is all their own.  I see no reason as to why this game will not only grow, but thrive, gaining new fans of this great genre along the way.


Bottom Line:
It's free, amazing and doesn't require gigs of your hardrive, so why not download ASAP?!


Pros:
Great game, amazing graphics and cool characters
Strategy is vital to match
Just plain FUN!


Cons:
Game can feel "different" on Iphone compared with Ipad
Noobs will feel overwhelmed for the first 5-10 games before feeling more comfortable
AFKrs are still out there, ruining great competition