Archive for Movies
October Debrief
Only three things of note this month…
1. Saw Paramore and Paper Route in concert at the Filmore in Detroit with Jason and Levi. Such a great show! I only wish we had better seats, but I’m sold on Paramore, and Paper Route is better live than I’d even hoped for. I’d go see both of these bands again.
2. Participated in an epic MuteMath concert experience. I’m still putting my review together on this one, but wow. Even after having seen them live 4 times before, this was hands down the best concert I’ve ever been to.
3. Halloween! Tried to watch a bunch of creepy-type movies this month (Zombieland wins hands down), and decorated our porch and lawn. This was the first year we stayed in Clinton and handed out candy. Good times! Tanner went as Harry Potter. Picture to come soon.
I also started playing basketball on Tuesday nights. I hope this Wednesday I don’t feel as bad as I did last Wednesday.
Looking at the calendar, I’m going to have quite a month in November. Can’t wait!
Books Read in October:
Zip.
Zilch.
Nada.
Movies Watched in October:
Zombieland – 5/5
The Brothers Bloom – 3/5
17 Again – 3/5
Sugar – 5/5
Year One – 2/5
Away We Go – 3/5
From Dusk Till Dawn – 2/5
Land of the Lost – 2/5
Shrink – 4/5
Young Guns – 4/5
Where The Wild Things Are – 5/5
Full Battle Rattle – 3/5
Management – 2/5
12 Monkeys – 3/5
Law Abiding Citizen – 4/5
Scream – 4/5
Running The Sahara – 5/5
Scream 2 – 3/5
Rocket Science – 5/5
Scream 3 – 2/5
Fight Club – 5/5
Event Horizon – 3/5
Young Guns II – 3/5
An American Wolf in London – 2/5
Previous Months:
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
September Debrief
» Football is back!
» Michigan already has more wins than last year!
» The Lions finally win a game!
» The Tigers are finishing strong!
» Fall softball is finally fun.
» Drove Grandma-In-Law to her family reunion in Alabama. A very quick weekend trip but enjoyed getting back on the road again. Enjoyed some out of this world catfish, hushpuppies and sweet tea.
» Lots of great music loaded up this month!
» Small group is picking up steam. So glad Steve has joined us!
The big story this month is that I failed at my goal of reading the New Testament in September. A bunch of reasons, mostly excuses, but I plan on wrapping it up before Monday. It’s been a huge learning experience and I plan on doing it again, and often. I’ll probably do it every couple months or so, switching up translations each time. The Message really threw me for a loop. Next in the que is the old standby NIV.
Books Read in September:
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller
Drops Like Stars by Rob Bell
Movies Watched in September:
The Pickup Artist – 3/5
The Hunting Party – 3/5
The Deer Hunter – 4/5
Michael – 3/5
Spirited Away – 2/5
Romeo + Juliet – 4/5
Adventureland – 3/5
Take Out – 4/5
Cape Fear – 3/5
I Love You, Man – 4/5
Casino – 5/5
Trouble The Water – 5/5
Sunshine Cleaning – 4/5
O’Horton – 4/5
The Cider House Rules – 4/5
Previous Months:
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
August Debrief
August was a blur.
It began with uncertainty at work, which has only gotten more interesting as the days go by. The next couple weeks should be telling, but I no longer come in to work knowing what’s going to happen from one day to the next.
I was able to accomplish some goals for the month — watch 31 movies and read 2 books. I actually finished strong with 34 movies, one in which I watched twice. I also got a third way through another book. The only reason this was even a goal of mine was because a couple months this year I watched over 20 movies and wondered how intrusive it would be to average a movie per day one month. It really wasn’t that bad. Here’s a tip, you don’t really have to sleep 8+ hours, ever.
I played in my first ever city league softball game last week. While I’m pumped to be finally playing softball past August for the first time since college, it’s truly annoying to be playing against people who define their lives by softball games.
And of course August is the month for my yearly Fantasy Football Draft Party and Mancation. Every year my boy Brandon fly’s in from Dallas to spend a long weekend in Michigan while Tonia and Tanner head for the hills and hope the house isn’t destroyed when they return. I look forward to these all year long, and this year did not disappoint.
So September begins the same as August, with uncertainty at work as well as a personal goal. The goal for September is to read the entire New Testament. I have an outlined plan, but I intend to do it a little quicker than that. I also might be doing some daily recaps.
Oh yeah, I also turned a year older this month.
Books Read in August:
40 Days and 40 Nights by Matthew Chapman
Fearless by Max Lucado
Movies Watched in August:
Coach Carter – 4/5
Earth Girls Are Easy – 1/5
The Talented Mr. Ripley – 5/5
My Big Fat Greek Wedding – 4/5
License To Wed – 3/5
The Ninth Gate – 3/5
The Soloist – 4/5
Dazed & Confused – 3/5
The Nines – 4/5
Blade Runner – 2/5
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – 4/5
The Great Buck Howard – 4/5
1408 – 3/5
Taking Lives – 4/5
District 9 – 5/5
Do The Right Thing – 4/5
G-Force – 2/5
V For Vendetta – 3/5
Alive – 3/5
Boy Interupted – 3/5
He Got Game – 4/5
Funny Money – 2/5
Stardust – 4/5
Footloose – 3/5
Requiem For A Dream – 4/5
Inglourious Basterds (x2) – 5/5
Toy Soldiers – 3/5
Space Cowboys – 3/5
Driven – 3/5
Music Within – 5/5
Duplicity – 3/5
Taxi Driver – 4/5
Bringing Out The Dead – 4/5
Glengarry Glen Ross – 4/5
Previous Months:
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
July Debrief
I didn’t think much happened in July until I started making a list of notable items.
It started off harmless with an extended Independence Day weekend full of cookouts, family, and bottle rockets being confiscated by my mother.
The following weekend we jetted down to Kings Island with Jay, Christina and Adam for Spirit Song—3 full days of camping, coasters and concerts. So happy to cross “seeing Switchfoot live” off my bucket list.
The next week we started our first small group in over 3 years. I’m really excited about this on many levels, but mostly because of how ecumenical it is. It’s comprised of 3 different churches.
Tanner turned six on the 23rd, had his first birthday party that included more than family, and got an electric guitar and amp. You hear it said a lot, but they sure grow up fast, don’t they?
The 24th was an exciting day as well. Our softball team came in 2nd in a tournament that took all of 8 hours, then we rushed over to a reunion party with a bunch of friends from our youth group back in the day. Such a great time catching up, despite being exhausted!
The month ended on a strange note. Lots of things happening in my department, so things are… different, for the time being. Lots of unknowns and anxiety. The next couple of months should reveal a lot.
I also finally finished the Twilight saga this month. I really enjoyed the entire series, and I’m so glad there is a little bit left to devour.
Books Read in July:
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Flickering Pixels by Shane Hipps
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Movies Watched in July:
He’s Just Not That Into You – 4/5
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone – 4/5
Reservation Road – 4/5
The Devil’s Advocate – 3/5
Interview With A Vampire – 3/5
My Sister’s Keeper – 3/5
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – 3/5
Zodiac – 4/5
The Basketball Diaries – 3/5
Ghost World – 3/5
The Beach – 4/5
Snow Angels – 3/5
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? – 4/5
Two Lovers – 3/5
Top Secret! – 3/5
Vampire In Brooklyn – 3/5
Previous Months:
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
June Debrief
It’s funny how fast a Michigan Summer can go. Well, not so much funny as sad. But it’s definitely been a good one so far. Our first vacation of the year was mostly a staycation. We took an entire week off (sandwiched between two full weekends) and hung around the house, but we did take three of those days to visit Milwaukee and Miller Park and had such a great time! Here are some recommended links from our stay.
While we were in Milwaukee we celebrated our 10 year anniversary. That’ll make you feel old real quick.
We also hosted our first 5K in June. Tonia did an incredible job putting it all together, and Tanner blew my mind, again, by running it in 29:48. I’m really having a ton of fun running those with him, and he has a ton of fun collecting all the medals.
And sadly this month we lost a legend. I always knew Michael Jackson was a prominent part of my past, but it wasn’t until he died that I really knew the extent of it. Going back and watching all of his video’s again really rekindled my love of MJ. I climbed up in the attic and broke out my vinyl records for old times sake. I dusted off my CD’s and started listening to all the hits again, giving Tanner a glimpse at the greatness (he’s hooked now too). I even bought two separate best-of DVD’s containing over 20 of his ground breaking videos on Friday. He’s been gone mentally for years, but the finality of Thursday really brought it home how influential he was to me.
For an epic post on all things MJ, visit this post by Human3rror.
Books Read in June:
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Movies Watched in June:
Defiance – 4/5
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – 5/5
Revolutionary Road – 5/5
Big Fish – 4/5
The Alamo – 4/5
Night at the Museum 2 – 4/5
Die Hard 2 – 3/5
Die Hard with a Vengeance – 4/5
Singles – 3/5
Solaris – 4/5
Primer – 4/5
Waitress – 4/5
Troy – 4/5
Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail – 4/5
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – 4/5
Phoebe In Wonderland – 4/5
Bend It Like Beckham – 4/5
The International – 3/5
Previous Months:
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
May Debrief
Well May was certainly busy.
I’m not sure how people with multiple children deal with it, but Tanner had Little League twice a week and that just felt a little crazy to me. We were constantly on the run. Regardless, we were still able to fit in some fun things this month.
1. We became the proud owners of Rock Band 2 this month. We haven’t come up with our band name yet, but we’ve been practicing like crazy for our tour. Our first single will be a cover of Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. Seriously, this is a great game, and we’ve loved learning it.
2. For my third year in a row, and first for Tonia, we attended the Change Without Compromise conference at NorthRidge Church. Every year I go it’s like a steroid shot of creativity, innovation, and mission. Kudos to Brad Powell, staff and volunteers for another great experience!
3. That same weekend our church continued to break the mold of what the local church looks like by closing our doors on Sunday. Instead went out and served our community in tangible ways. Our primary goal was to serve our community, but our secondary goal was to hammer home the fact that the church is not a building. For that we designed a shirt intended to compliment that idea, and as you would expect we got some feedback from it (more on that to come). It was a great day, capped off with some worship in the park! We hope to do many more just like it.
4. After 6 years at our house, I finally have a garage that I can store stuff in. Prior to that it’s been, well, a mess. It’s housed other people’s cars and canoes, raccoons and cats, dirt and garbage. After a nice long weekend it has been totally cleaned out and I’m now getting quotes to possibly take it to the next level—a poured cement pad, a new garage door, siding, and roof. Of course it will probably take another 6 years to complete that.
5. I celebrated a milestone on the blog in May, and for the occasion I wrote a ridiculously long post. At the end I attempted to give a bunch of stuff away and learned that I’m not very good at giving things away.
6. I read only 2 books this month, but they were both really good. The first was Twilight, and I was surprised to learn how close the movie was to the book (quite the opposite feeling I got after reading then watching Angel’s and Demon’s). The other book was Stumbling on Happiness, which turned out to be a lot different than expected, but that wasn’t a bad thing! I recommend both to anyone looking for a good read.
7. And finally, May was a huge movie month for me. I watched 26 overall (the most ever), but most surprisingly I watched 5 in the theater this month (the most ever). That’s more than I watched in a theater all of last year. UP was definitely the best of the bunch, but I had a great time at all of them, especially the company around me!
Books Read:
Twilight
Stumbling On Happiness
Movies Watched:
The Pacifier – 2/5
X-Men Origins: Wolverine – 3/5
Frost/Nixon – 5/5
Drillbit Taylor – 3/5
Duma – 4/5
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- 3/5
John Q – 4/5
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind – 2/5
What Doesn’t Kill You – 4/5
Star Trek – 4/5
Flawless – 3/5
Angels & Demons – 3/5
Yes Man – 3/5
Bangkok Dangerous – 3/5
Stand By Me – 5/5
Ace Ventura Pet Detective Jr. – 3/5
Terminator Salvation – 3/5
Sleepy Hollow – 3/5
Paul Blart: Mall Cop – 2/5
Pineapple Express – 2/5
Love Actually – 3/5
Domino – 2/5
Fanboys – 4/5
UP – 5/5
Apocalypse Now – 5/5
Sneakers – 4/5
Previous Months:
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
5-Star Rating System
You might think that I would rate my movies by using the 5 major categories listed in this post, but you would be wrong. Although my ratings are based on the Netflix 5-Star rating system, I’m finding that more and more this is something viscerally I feel at the end of the movie. But despite that, I have found a certain pattern in my ratings.
1 Star – Hated It
For a movie to receive one star it usually means that I am proactively telling people to stay far away from it. I may occasionally use words like “sucked” or “garbage” while describing it to someone else. Examples: Firewall, Rocky V, Stone Cold
2 Stars – Didn’t Like It
Something really didn’t sit well with me after watching it. Maybe there was too much crude humor for my taste, maybe it had lousy acting, maybe the story was juvenile. Whatever it was, my gut told me that I just couldn’t say that I “liked” it. Examples: 88 Minutes, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Fireproof
3 Stars – Liked It
This is the catch-all rating for me. I usually describe a three star movie as “just another movie.” It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great or memorable. Examples: Charlie Barlett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Mr. 3000
4 Stars – Really Liked It
A four-star movie is one I could easily watch again. I had a good experience watching it, and I’d recommend it to others. Usually it’s lacking one little thing that could have taken it over the edge to a 5-star rating. Examples: 300, August Rush, Brick
5 Stars – Loved It
Five-star movies are the ones I’d buy. I’m also proactively telling everyone I know about how great it was. Movies with a great message or that involve a true story usually get bumped up here from a 4-star rating. Examples: Blood Diamond, Fargo, Juno
What I Look For In A Movie
I’ve been watching a lot of movies lately. Seriously, a lot.
Here’s a breakdown of the new movies I’ve watched for the last three years (which doesn’t include movies I’ve watched that I have seen before—such as those 48 viewings of Star Wars with Tanner).
2007 – 105
2008 – 191
2009 – 91 through May 4
But this post isn’t really about how many movies I watch, or what I do with my time. This post is generated as a result of a debate I recently had on my Facebook page about what constitutes a “good” movie (more specifically, I said Fireproof was crap while many others said it was good simply because, although they admit it had horrible acting, it had a good message).
So it got me thinking about how I rate movies. Here’s what I’ve come up with as major factors I use in rating a movie. All parts being equal.
Acting
I want to feel like I’m watching something real, even if it’s set on Mars and they are fighting a six-legged octopus. I don’t want to feel like the actors are snoozing their way to another paycheck or haven’t researched for their parts. I also don’t want to see Mud and Steel quality in Hollywood. Good acting is a cornerstone to rating a movie.
Story
The story must be compelling. Of course there are a lot of rehashes out there, but if it’s a timeless story, and done well, then there’s no harm no foul. But the story needs to captivate me. I hate nodding off during a movie, and that happens most often due to a bad story line.
Originality
Originality will carry a weaker story line. If it’s never been done before you’ve peaked my interest already. Originality is almost like bonus points in that regard, but I personally give it a little more prominence than that in my ratings. Not just originality of story, but in delivery as well.
Cinematography
If you have visually stimulated me, you are going to get some major points. However, I’m not a big CGI guy, so you’re going to have to do a lot more than computer generated graphics to impress me. I love a beautiful picture.
The Rest
The last factor is a combination of all the other aspects to movie making that can make or break a movie for me.
Cast
Inspirational
Dialogue
Pace
Style
Quotable
Cleverness
Timelessness
Topical
Challenging
Entertainment Value
Music
Escapism
Humor
Drama
Suspense
Action
Truth
All that said, sometimes a movie hits a nerve with me that disregards all reason, which is why you’ll find Dumb and Dumber in my list of Top 3 all time favorite movies. So much for rules, eh?
How do you rate movies?
April Debrief
• April was the month the warmth came
• Easter service was priceless
• Tanner began his first season of Little League
• I bought a new lawn mower and grill
• We booked all of our vacations for the year
• April was the ‘Tipping Point’ of my coffee consumption
• Tonia and Tanner became addicted to the Wii
But April 2009 will be best remembered for Tanner’s performance in his first 5K. He ran it in 37:45, finishing in first place in the 1-10 year-old division (he’s only 5 btw). The more I think about it, the more impressed I am with his feat. What a stud. Just the thought of it has pushed me in my own training this month. Love that little guy!
I also decided this week that I’ve been letting a lot of valuable information fall by the wayside by not recording the best quotes and thoughts from the books I’ve been reading and the movies I’ve been watching. So beginning with May I’m going to start keeping a moleskin with me to record all of the inspired thought that comes out of the books and movies I consume. I’m really looking forward to seeing what I capture!
With that said, I read a lot of great books this month, and the movies were decent with only a couple stand outs.
Books Read:
Sin Boldly
The Alchemist (Audio Book)
Angels and Demons
The Noticer
The Tipping Point
So Beautiful (Audio Book)
Movies Watched:
Saints and Soldiers – 4/5
Religulous – 4/5
What Just Happened? – 3/5
Knowing – 3/5
Race to Witch Mountain – 3/5
Sweeney Todd – 4/5
Lucky Number Slevin – 4/5
The Day the Earth Stood Still – 2/5
The Golden Compass – 3/5
I.O.U.S.A. – 4/5
Doubt – 4/5
Edward Scissorhands – 4/5
Bedtime Stories – 3/5
Marley & Me – 5/5
State of Play – 4/5
Monters vs. Aliens – 2/5
Fireproof – 2/5
The Wrestler – 5/5
Ed Wood – 3/5
The Holiday – 3/5
Beetlejuice – 3/5
JCVD – 4/5
Previous Months:
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
March Debrief
As bad as January started, I have high hopes for 2009 if the rest of the year can match March.
It started with a company trip to Anaheim—my first ever visit to California. In addition to the awesome weather, I was able to squeeze in a trip to The Mayan with a coworker to visit Mosaic and shake hands with my favorite author/speaker, Erwin McManus. Mosaic was an experience I’ll never forget. Even the cab ride there was memorable!
March 1st was also when I also started my 40 Days of Water fast. I didn’t think it would be that big a deal, but I’ve really missed the comfort of coffee in the morning, and burgers, wings and pizza just aren’t the same without an ice cold Coke! Regardless, it’s been a learning experience and I’ve finally perfected the habit of refilling our filtered water jug.
In March I also became an uncle for the fourth time, received another bonus at work, started getting another $15 per week in my paycheck due to the stimulus tax restructure, my taxes got completed and I’m getting a healthy return, Tonia got a Wii for her birthday, Tanner has started jogging with me, I got a new grill, and the weather is finally picking up!
Books Read:
Wide Awake
The Audacity of Hope (Audio Book)
Movies Watched:
The Rocker – 3/5
Chocolat – 4/5
Close Encounters of the Third Kind – 3/5
Glory – 5/5
Howard the Duck – 3/5
Armageddon – 4/5
Max Payne – 3/5
Slumdog Millionaire – 5/5
The Secret Life of Bee’s – 4/5
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada – 3/5
Monster’s Ball – 3/5
The Machinist – 4/5
Beverly Hills Chihuahua – 2/5
Fallen – 4/5
Australia – 3/5
Twilight – 5/5
Milk – 3/5
October Sky – 5/5
Jerry Seinfeld: I’m Telling You For The Last Time – 5/5
Premonition – 4/5
The Benchwarmers – 4/5
Special – 3/5
Previous Months:
January 2009
February 2009
