Little Miss Sunshine

I have waited awhile to write about this one. I know its a little bit older of a movie, but I have just recently got into it. I think its slowly becoming one of my favorite movies. There is so much plot going on it, but at the same time is a simple concept. A family going taking a road trip so the youngest can attend a child beauty pageant. But along the way, you have a son who is devoted to not speaking, a father who is obsessed with getting his self help book off the ground, a loving grandfather addicted to cocaine, a gay uncle, the innocents of a daughter, and a mother trying to hold it all together.

I like this movie because I think there is some real struggle going on. Each character has some sort of issue going on with them and is probably closer to reality than other problems in different movies. Its probably easier to relate to the father, trying to get something off the ground to really support the family, or the mother, doing everything possible to keep everyone together. Not to mention, I think Steve Carell's character is brilliant, and great to see him in a different role.

Stop reading if you havent seen the movie...

My favorite parts is when things start crashing in around them. The grandfather dies. The sons dream of becoming a jet pilot is crashed when he realizes that he is color blind. The fathers self help book is given up on by the publisher. And the gay uncle is confronted by the man he loves and who also took his job.

What happens next is just great. While all of this is happening around them, the family arrives at the pageant and realizes how corrupt and evil the pageant really is. They approach the daughter to try and convince her to rethink taking the stage to perform her dance routine. They tell her "Olive, you dont have to do this..." She ponders for a moment, then walks on stage and performs the routine her and her grandfather worked on for so long. However, it brings the family together, the judges think the dance is too vulgar, but the family loves it because it is representing the daughters personality. They family joins her on stage and everyone dances to the routine, awesome ending.

I love this because in the midst of the family problems, the daughter brings them all together in the end. She willing does something that she knows she is going to "fail" (in the eyes of the world) but will unify the family. She is rejected by the world for being different but redeems her entire family. I think there is some spiritual themes here. Say...Jesus, coming to earth, being rejected, but redeeming his family?

500 Days of Summer

It was good. In one way, I think this is one of the most honest movies I have seen in a long time. Yea, honest. Thats a good way I would describe this movie. Zoey plays typical Zoey, independent women, doesnt need help, or has to commit to anything, while romantic Gordon-Levitt falls head over heels for her. I like the story because every romantic movie is about how the girl struggles with finding that perfect guy blah blah blah. And this one, its the other way around.

Believe it or not, I think this is more the way the world works these days. More and more, as Tyler Durden would say, "We are a generation of men, raised by women." Therefore guys are becoming more romantics then maybe before, and women are being trained more and more that a man is not what they need, more so, a job, career, their own place identifies them, more than a husband or family.

HOWEVER...

The way the movie was shot, was, I think, incredible. I love the idea of skipping around day-today. And seeing the emotions, ups and downs, that he was experiencing. Pretty cool in my book. Very cool soundtrack, however, the soundtrack is creating a culture. Most of those songs had come out 10 years ago or later. Put them in a cooly shotten movie, and now they are cool? Listen to old music people. Music is not infinite - get to know all of it.

District 9

I loved this movie. I really did. The story to me was completely original and unique. To me, this makes a great movie. I feel like every concept of 'Aliens' has been tapped into, but this one stands alone.

I really liked that they used some no name actors. It made the movie way more believable as a "documentary" rather than just a film. Which is another really interesting concept that I havent really seen done so well before: making a movie that is actually a documentary. Moving from one interview to another and before you know it, you are following around a certain character. The movie fits that certain genre that I created and LOVE: Altered Reality.

I think the movie has some truth to. Take it for what its worth, im just a human, not a prone. The main character, Wikus, is in charge of relocating the aliens to a new living quarter which he obviously is met with hostility. Without going into too much detail, he ends up helping some of them escape and slowly becomes infected with alien bacterial DNA (its sci fi ok). So he has to reason being amongst these creatures while he waits for them to come back for him. Basically he becomes something that he never thought he would, and now has to live like that.

I definitely feel this sometimes. If you would have asked me 5 and a half years ago if I would be where I am today, I would have laughed at you. But now, I couldnt ask for anything else. I have the most beautiful life I could dream of, and am living for something else, not of this world, and not aliens either. God has given me the most beautiful wife in the world, I am obsessed with my job, friends, art, creating, and music.

So yea, I liked it.


...Not to mention, one time, my best friend growing up, Franky, and I were playing basketball let one night at his house. It must have been like 3 in the morning. We were playing when the ball rolled in the front yard where the light didnt show. We chased it out there, when our eyes meet the sky. Before we new it, there was something hovering over Frankys house. Im not joking. Then, whatever it was, shot a light down that scanned his yard. Then, as quick as it happened, the light turned off and the object shot over the house and out of site.
Not I dont believe in Aliens, but what was it?

Inception - New Revalation

So not only did I like this movie, I think I have finally zeroed in on a movie preference, which at the same time has helped me understand my issues with fantasy movies...now I know what you are thinking..."Isnt inception a fantasy movie?" Yes. But let me explain...first the movie review then my thoughts...

I did like the movie. I really like the ensemble of actors they had in it. I think...yea...ill confess something. I like Leo. There I said it. I think the movies he chooses to do are awesome and he does a really good job at selling his character. Good actor in my opinion, probably one of my favorites right now. Ellen Page does a good job at adding that "I am innocent but have some spunk attitude" to the film. And of course Joseph Gorden-Levitt is great. It was nice to see him in the role he played. It was much more authoritative and less of a 500 Days of Summer role, which was nice.

Ok ok. I realized something the other night when I was talking to my friend Tom. I have never really gotten into fantasy movies (Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, etc). Its not that I really dislike them, its more like I just dont prefer them, but I have been trying more and more and they are slowing growing on me. But what I realized is that I prefer "Altered Reality Movies." Well thats what I am calling it anyway. And Inception fits this role. So, I consider altered reality as movies, or any story for that matter, that is based in a reality setting, but gets or is slightly altered. Another example of this is "District 9" (blog coming soon). Based in reality, but is altered by the presence of Aliens.

Super Heros. I have always struggled with. Batman is the only one I ever got into, even as a kid. But now it makes sense. Its altered reality. Other movies that fit this Edward Scissorhands, All the Pirates of Caribbean movies, Donnie Darko, and Fight Club.

Appaloosa

Great! I love westerns. But not all of them. Most are just non plot "shoot em ups" but as you might learn by reading some of these blogs. I really enjoy a good story. And this one is great. Its one of those dont see it coming kind of movies. Kind of keeps you guessing until the very last scene.

When I watched it the first time, it literally made me yell "YEA!" a couple times. Not because of the action (but dont let me talk that down - I mean, what do you expect? The best gunmen of the west get together, there is some pretty awesome scenes) but because of the plot. Its a really sweet movie if you are looking for some "brotherhood" type themes. Highly recommended.

My Favorite Quote from the movie:

What do you suppose those two on the top of the ridge are doing?
Dont know...
Suppose we go find out...
Can I finish my coffee first?

Yes Man

Yes man. Hmmm...not too sure about this one:

...Carl Allen is at a standstill. No future... Until the day he enrolls into a personal development program based on a very simple idea: say yes to everything! Carl discovers with amazement the magical power of "Yes", and sees his professional and romantic life turned upside down overnight: an unexpected promotion and a new girlfriend. But he'll soon discover that better can be good's enemy, and that all opportunities shouldn't be taken....

To be honest. I am still in some what of confused state right now. I feel as if there were some "holes" in the plot itself. I found myself saying "what? wait..how" a lot of times. Like just general plot like is he under some sort of hypnosis. What about his ex wife? Kind of a hanging plot line there. EYE DEE KAY

HOWEVER

I did think the movie was pretty pretty funny. "I shot a cow with a bazooka!" Some really funny dialogue to be found. I think Jim Carrey made the movie for sure. Not positive on what it would have been like without him.

I think saying Yes to everything makes for a funny movie..but not how life should be lived.

The Fourth Kind

I have seen this movie like 4 times in the past week. I feel like there is a lot I can say about this movie. I dont know how much you know about the movie, but the gist is that there is this town in Alaska (only accessible by plane) that has had some strange occurrences. A psychologist undergo....you know what? I am just going to copy and past the summery and then continue with the blog:

....The movie stars Milla Jovovich, Elias Kosteas in a Fact-based thriller involving an ongoing unsolved mystery in Alaska, where one town has seen an extraordinary number of unexplained disappearances during the past 40 years and there are accusations of a federal cover up.

It’s over 30 years since Steven Spielberg brought us Close Encounters of the Third kind and this movie goes on the next stage of encountering aliens, mmm looks good.

The featurette provides a look at aliens Abductions along with the different classes of the encounters with Aliens. Movie is out November 6th in UK/Ireland as well as USA...

I enjoy original scary movies. I think this one was pretty scary. I enjoyed it. The way the movie is put together is very interesting. What they do is use actors and actresses to portray the "real" characters. Then at certain times they use "actual audio or video" in place of the actual movie. Now...of course...you can research and drawl your own conclusion of whether or not you think the actual audio or video is real. However, even if it is fake, you can find facts of strange "happenings" in Nome Alaska. None the less, the first time i watched it, it freaked me out.
Now.

There is one solid conclusion I can make after watching this movie. People who dont believe in the existence of God can explain weird occurrences by blaming it on Aliens. People who understand spiritual warfare understand the demons and dark forces exist. Personally, that is my opinion on the "happenings" in Nome Alaska.

I remember the first time I encountered spiritual warfare. I had taken a group of men to summer camp in Rockbridge VA. After each night, there was a talk that essentially worked through the Gospel, including a need for Christ, sin, the cross, and the resurrection. After the cross-talk, our cabin went back to our room and had our "cabin-time." Then went to sleep. Our room in the cabin was one of the rooms that extended off the main building, therefore, our room was surrounded on 3 sides by windows. I woke up in the middle of the night, all of our windows were open and curtains pulled back - which was normal, the nights were hot, this allowed cold air to move in. I dont know why, but I was alert, like my mind had been thinking or processing something. I then looked outside. What I saw was hard to explain, but what I felt was harder. There was one light post on in the middle of camp that seemed to light up the entire camp. It was dark out, like really dark. But the ground was covered by a solid and consistent thick fog. What I remember feeling was a presence. Both good and evil. It overcame me in a way that is hard to explain. Terrifying, but at the same time comforting, like i wasnt alone. I couldnt help but think that a spiritual war was happening before my eyes. That eternal lives were changing and there was a war for each of us. Eventually, i got up, closed all the windows, shut the blinds and tried to sleep. I didnt work, i layed there untill morning trying to process what I thought was going on.

First Blog

Hello all. I just have felt convicted to do this for awhile. I enjoy writing but usually feel i need some sort of objective. I also enjoy movies...why not combine my two loves.
So the goal of this blog is to simply give my personal opinion on movies. Sometimes they may just simply be I like/dislike. Other times i feel I might be able to elaborate a little more on spiritual aspects and how they can apply.
The bottom line is not that I am some professional movie critic, i just think that I would enjoy this.
Also, like I said before, i just enjoy movies...most of the time i dont think it would be surprising to see each blog start with...Awesome! or Great!
; > )