Save the Blue Like Jazz Movie

About a year an a half ago a dear friend , one of the producers of the Blue Like Jazz film project sent me the script to read and evaluate. He also wanted me to share my thoughts with the world. I did in May of 2009. Things were progressing well and my friend was raising funds for the film. Casting looked strong and their was good buzz. However, there were financial humps that could not be overcome, mostly due to the fact that those with the money (older, more conservative Christians) did not like the script and those that would like the script and film (younger, more open-minded Christians and spiritually minded persons) do not have deep pockets.

It was announced not too long ago that the project was dead. However some enterprising young me, probably wanting to be producers in their own rights have come up with an ingenious plan, obvious int eh world of Radiohead's pay-what-you-want, but still new to the film world. They have devised a plan for people to help save the film by giving money to the project and becoming, in effect, producers of a piece of art they want to see. As a former concert promoter that spent much of his own money on bands I wanted to see, I love the idea and want to support it.

So, here is my little way of helping. Please go to their site if you are a fan of the book and want to see it made into a film. If you are unsure, read my analysis of the script. The script has been changed since I evaluated it (and I have heard, some of the changes are reflective of my ideas- they were ideas by many readers, not just me).

So, here is the site to save the movie. Follow them on twitter. Give money for good art and spread the word.

Here is my reprinted analysis:

There is no other reason that a person of my stature with only a few hundred readers would get his hands on the screenplay that many are talking about. The only other thing I have read is from Gabe Lyons, and I am not Gabe Lyons. He produces big conferences and writes books. I write a blog and have better hair and music taste. Plus, I did not love the book. I merely liked the book, but I was not its main audience (too old and cynical).


To be Hollywood-y, I will tell you to think The Graduate meets Fight Club, without the sex, violence and multiple personalities. It is not your preacher's Christian film. In fact, it is light years away from and ahead of what normally passes for "Christian" entertainment (Fireproof, etc). The reason for this is a different agenda. Imagine getting a bunch of talented people together (that just happen to be Christians). Imagine that they have one goal and that goal is not to make a Christian film, or evangelize. Imagine that goal is simply to make a very good film that entertains, but the main character happens to have a Christian background which he is struggling with.

This friend wanted my honest assessment and I can tell you this… it is quite good. It is funny, edgy (but not too edgy- I wish it were more so, but I hate edge just to be edgy- see garden State), honest, brash and humble. Yes, the comparisons to Garden State, Good Will Hunting, All the Real Girls, Juno and Little Miss Sunshine, and any other coming of age story are warranted. It is a Christian Indie flick, and it works. It is reasonably Sundance-y and will be embraced by a similar audience, unless the audience is prejudiced.

They have started with the thing any film must have to be good... a very good script. Now it is up to the filmmakers to make the movie the screenplay deserves.

It is not as witty as Juno (which is not a bad thing- Juno may have been too witty), but is much more realistic than Garden State and its ending does not make you suspend any disbelief (unlike GS), which you have to do in Elizabethtown and any other hackneyed romantic dramedy masquerading as a personal growth flicks. No airport reunions here. Thank God. I start with the ending because it has broken many good movies in the past (you know, guy gets resolution to all his problems and the girl in the last 5 minutes).

Luckily, this ending gives you just what you need to be satisfied (and maybe shed a real tear) without resorting to the tricks of most Hollywood films. That is a credit to the filmmakers. In fact, the ending of this film is its strength. It is nice to see such a strong pay off and I hope the filmmakers keep it. Test audiences be damned if they don’t like it! Plus, the redemptive spirit of the final act is powerful and I connected with it because of similar experiences in college, mostly due to the grace of friends after I was broken by my own stupidity. I connected with that and the writer's disdain for Christianeze like "Bro" which I also despise.

Don't get me wrong, the screenplay is not perfect. There are a few flourishes I appreciate, but am skeptical of seeing done on screen. However, seldom have I seen a screenplay (or film for that matter) which does make me say, "I may have done that differently," or "is that really the best option?"

That said, Blue Like Jazz will be a Rorschach test for its viewers, with each of their own prejudices brought to bear. It mines Christian and secular Left stereotypes (both of which I find in myself), finding something in each to laugh at, but moves beyond these to find the humanity in "the other" each audience member has dismissed in the past. This happens if that audience member chooses to let go and become enraptured by this painfully funny tale based upon Don Miller’s own life, but fictionalized. It is not for the closed minded, no matter what their stripe, but neither was the book. The first scenes will find audiences not embracing the “Christian” label squirming because of the insider church language. However, the setup is needed and without this the pathos of the central character would be unexplained and the growth would be non-existent. And trust me, Christians will find plenty to make them squirm after the insider beginning.

My only concern for the film project is that an audience will be hard to find. Too many conservative Christians will find the reality, the honesty and the rawness disconcerting, realizing they are more comfortable laughing at those they disagree with instead of embracing them as friends and truth-tellers, while some of the more reasonable and progressive critics will come with their own agendas, looking for an evil proselytizer under the director’s slate board, not realizing that every protagonist in a coming of age film has a “born again” or epiphany moment, whether it is Zach Braff discontinuing the use of psychotropic drugs in Garden State or Seth Rogan realizing that he must find gainful employment in Knocked Up. It is basic to the plot of such a film. Just because Jesus is in the midst, does not change the basic arch of a story. I hope the “open minded” see that, unlike the writers of Pitchfork which dismiss most albums by religious musicians (see reviews of Cold War Kids and Manchester Orchestra). Of course, Miller’s books have found a large audience, so I think it has a very good chance.

I am very impressed and cannot wait for the soundtrack, if they get the rights. Hopefully it will be filled with Coltrane, Monk, Modest Mouse, Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire, Ani DiFranco, Cold War Kids, Welcome Wagon and other Indie Rockers from Asthmatic Kitty and Kill Rock Stars.

So, spread the word. Get the buzz started. This movie has the potential to make you proud. It has the potential to be the film most of us have been waiting for, an entertaining and truthful story with Christian and redemptive themes that makes us laugh and we can show our friends without embarrassment. It is about time.

btw, the filmmakers are looking for funding right now. If you are interested, or know others interested in investing in such a project with a very good business plan, let me know. I will put you in touch with the right people (and I have nothing to personally gain from any of this, beyond a movie I can proudly own- and maybe they will send me a nice t-shirt).

Oscar Roundtable

an imagined conversation

Oscar Round-Table with Mark Driscoll, Brian McLaren, Ed Young, Jr, David Dark and the Rev. Smith, pastor of Berean Baptist Church.

CTT: Thanks to all of you for participating in our roundtable. First of all, I would like to ask what each of you brings to the table to discus film.

Mark: “I do love film, I love story. My degree’s in communication. I’ve got two home theater systems. I’ve got three Tivos, all right, I am not against technology and the arts. Our film crew just was in L.A. at Universal Studios shooting on the Spartacus set to get all of our footage for Good Friday. Some of my friends are filmmakers and poets and artists and we’re a very creative church.”*

Brian: While I would rather not discuss the material possessions that allow me to watch film on a high level, I am a former English teacher at the University of Maryland and have an understanding of the narrative aspects of film and how they align with the Biblical narrative.

Ed Young, Jr.: Well, I am sure my home theater system would put Mark’s to shame. Plus, I minister to some very influential actors, names I cannot share at this time. And, we do a really cool “At the Movies” sermon series in which I take a really popular movie and create a sermon around it. We even make our stage look like the film. I cannot wait to do Avatar. I will be blue!

David Dark: I have written on film for a number of years. I find it a form, while not superior to the written word, at least its modern equivalent, allowing the participants, on both the maker’s side and that of the watcher, to create a participatory dance through its use of images, light, sound, narrative and human involvement that is superior to other artistic forms (the written word withstanding) due to its ability to fully engage those said participants, whether it is the grandiose art of a Fellini, the sublimity of a Godard or the lowbrow comedic timings of an Apatow.

Rev. Smith: I write a newsletter each month for my congregants telling them which movies they should see and which ones they shouldn’t.

CTT: First of all, let’s discuss the film Avatar. What are your reactions?

Mark: Avatar is “the most demonic, satanic film I’ve ever seen. That any Christian could watch that without seeing the overt demonism is beyond me… it is a completely false ideology, it’s a sermon preached. It’s the most popular movie ever made, and it tells you that the creation mandate, the cultural mandate is bad, that we shouldn’t, we shouldn’t develop culture, that’s a bad thing. Primitive is good and advanced is bad and that we’re not sinners, we’re just disconnected from the divine life force, just classic, classic, classic paganism, that human beings are to connect, literally, with trees and animals and beasts and birds and that there’s this spiritual connection that we’re all a part of, that we’re all a part of the divine. It presents a false mediator with a witch. It presents false worship of created things rather than Creator God in absolute antithesis to Romans 1:25, which gives that as the essence of paganism. It has a false incarnation where a man comes in to be among a people group and to assume their identity. It’s a false Jesus. We have a false resurrection. We have a false savior. We have a false heaven. The whole thing is new age, satanic, demonic paganism, and people are just stunned by the visuals. Well, the visuals are amazing because Satan wants you to emotionally connect with a lie.”*

Brian: While I appreciate the passion with which Mark speaks, I must disagree on a number of grounds. However, I do have an issue with the film when I think of the costs associated. I wonder how many wells could be built to provide clean drinking water in Africa with the money spend on that film. In fact, a sustainable wind farm could be created to bring renewable energy to the entire subcontinent with the money brought in so far. This is an example of the false narrative that Westerners find themselves in.

However, regarding the film itself, I do appreciate the fact that the oppressive Colonialist forces that were attempting to rape the land of a primitive (in the positive sense) people group were pushed back, once again showing the crises each civilization faces when an oppressor is led by fear, greed and racism. However, I do believe that it was a misfortune that the Myth of Redemptive Violence was exalted once more.

Ed Young Jr: Man, did you see it in 3D? Wow. We are totally going to create a 3D theater in our video venues so they can experience our church as it happens in Grapevine. Man, what I would not do for a fraction of that special effects budget every Sunday. As for the movie? Yeah. I think I can find a way to spin it around to the Gospel. I think each person needs to be willing to become someone else to reach others for Jesus. That’ll preach, right? Can’t wait for the sermon series. It will be on the web. I am gonna be blue and the church will be Pandora!

David: I would rather spend time talking about the narrative structure in the Coen Brothers film A Serious Man and how it speaks to the consequences of inaction in Jewish life which is not solved by the American Rabbinical tradition.

Rev. Smith: Didn’t see it. Told my congregants not to see it. Sounds wierd.

CTT: Alright, let’s look at the other Best Picture candidates. Any that stick out to you?

Mark: My number 1 choice is Inglourious Basterds. I would like to metaphorically bash the skulls of the evil expressed in this film (and by modern day poor theology). I get what Tarantino is trying to do and while I believe that it was God’s will for the Holocaust, and I cannot question anything in God’s perfect timing, I think the Basterds were the kind of Jesus following young men I look for! I can do without the existential crises of A Serious Man and Up In the Air. These guys need to get over themselves. Blindside sucked. I liked the message, but the direction was pedestrian while still manipulative and Bullock overacts as if to say, “look at my, give me an Oscar.”

Brian: Once again, the Myth of Redemptive Violence is the overarching theme in Avatar, District 9, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds and Up. I find this a disturbing trend. While I did appreciate District 9’s desire to understand the world from the side of The Other, especially through the Incarnation, I was disturbed by the Colonialism evident in its use of a white man to redeem the lives of the poor savage aliens who were unable to save themselves. I feel the same about Blindside in which a rich white Christian saves the life of a poor mute black boy. My favorite would be Up In the Air, in which a 50 something man that travels too much experiences a wholly Kierkegaardian crises of faith. I also love the ambiguity.

Ed Young, Jr: Precious was way too depressing and I didn’t understand the girl’s life. I get Blindside. She is our congregation. I know we will use Up for our sermon series. Balloons baby! We are doing Blindside. I am working out a deal to get Sandra Bullock to come speak that day. District 9 is too heady for a sermon, as is Up In the Air. I will use The Hurt Locker if it wins the Oscar, but no one has seen it, so that Sunday would be a waste. What are the other movies? Pretty artsy, right?

David Dark: How long do I have to express my thoughts on each film? I mean, I am not talking about Avatar or Blindside, but I have written a work on the redemptive traits of the canon of Quentin Tarantino and how those correspond to the historical understanding of Eastern European Gypsy religions. Of course, I am most interested in Tarantino recreating himself as a Golem taking vengeance that the Jews were not able to take upon the Third Reich. Listen, I can tell you were looking for controversial statements and pithy headlines. That’s not really what I do.

Rev. Smith: My wife made me go to see Blindside. I liked it. Sandra Bullock makes a pretty blond. I didn’t see anything else besides Up, when my grandkids brought it over. It was cute, but I didn’t like the chicken creature. Was it a girl? Thought it was a boy until the baby came along. I don’t like gender confusion. I did like the talking dog. That Hurt Locker sounds kinda interesting, but I suppose it has bad language. They always ruin the war films with bad language.

CTT: Any last thoughts?

Mark: If The Hurt Locker wins, it will make the job of every pastor in America even more difficult. Women will assume they can make movies also. I am just kidding. The director isn’t married, so she can do what she wants. Plus, she made Point Break. She is an honorary guy.

Brian: I would encourage everyone to look at the systemic issues at play in each of this year’s movies and think about how each of us can be a cure to these cancers afflicting our beautiful world. In each film, the conflict arises due to one of the 4 global crises. If we can create a new kind of Christianity that actually addresses these factors, then there will only be movies made from our imaginations, not based upon true stories of oppression, inequity, environmental degradation or fear. It is my prayer that films like Precious, District 9, The Hurt Locker, An Eduation, Avatar and Blindside become historical artifacts of a bygone society in which the factors that create these narratives are banished to history and a new Na’vi-like world is created in its place.

Ed Young, Jr: If you are interested in a sermon series based upon this year’s Oscar nominees and winners, please see my website, www.creativepastors.com. I will have sermon outlines, wardrobe ideas, film clips and stage designs for purchase. Our team has also created a special blue paint which does not stain, so you can use it for your Avatar sermon.

David Dark: I would appreciate this being an actual discussion of film next time, and not just an exercise is sound bite collection.

Rev. Smith: Nope.

*actual quote

yes, it is a joke. why would you even ask?

Mark Driscoll's 10 Most Holy Films

The Top 10 Holiest Films, according to Mark Driscoll

10. Mad Max Trilogy- really anything by the Godly role model Mel Gibson. This film is obviously an allegory for the Gospel, with Max’s family as the church led to slaughter by false teachers. Max takes the vengeance of the Lord into his own hands, dispensing justice as a follower of God should.

9. 40 year Old Virgin- The trifecta: Good Sexual Ethics, Bad language and Homophobic jokes.

8. Talladega Nights- Say what you will, they get Jesus spot on!

7. Brave Heart- Jesus wants men like this on his side. However, it is lower on the Holy list because it is so overused by even sissified Christian men.

6. Die Hard- a Godly man, protecting his unrepentant wife/ Jezebel as she leaves her proper place to upset God’s order. As we see from this film, there are consequences when men are not the Head of the Household. An obvious metaphor for the book of Hosea.

5. Book of Eli- This film shows how we need to defend the Holy Bible from its detractors. Where can I get a machete like that to take down the enemies of the Lord? Plus, even I haven’t memorized the ENTIRE Bible.

4. Pulp Fiction- I would have added Kill Bill, which I love but struggle since it is clearly an allegory for Buddhism with a female protag (don’t these women understand their proper place). However, it does kick some serious tail. That said, Pulp Fiction is a call to leave the unrighteous life behind and take up our cross and follow Christ, as Jules chooses. Vincent suffers the consequences of saying No to repentance. It is so clear.

3. The Matrix- Sure some have told us that it is really about Buddhism, but Buddhism is about non-violence and wimpishness. Neo is not such a character in this film (the directors change him in the 2^nd and 3^rd films due to politically correct standards). He is a butt-kicking Christ figure choosing to die for the sins of others and resurrection to return ala Christ in The Book of Revelation. Plus, my friend Chris wrote a book about it.

2. There Will Be Blood- A real man builds a kingdom from his bare hands and will not let Charlatans or false teachers destroy it, even if he has to drink the milkshake of the false teacher (you figure out what that represents). The false teacher/ preacher representing Emergent theology and Pentecostalism is properly dispatched during the film’s climax. I find that a well placed bowling pin would stop manyof today’s false prophets.

1. Fight Club- Could there by another? This is what the Manly Christian life is about, a struggle with our dark sides in which we beat our sinful nature to a pulp… and anyone else that gets in our way!

"I would add Gladiator/ 300- but the theology is obviously polytheistic and the views of the afterlife disallow inclusion because some may see them as recruiting films for ancient Greek and Roman religions. However, we must remember that these films are set in pre-Christian Greece in the case of 300 and in a land in which Christianity was not yet taken hold in the case of Gladiator. Sure, films such as Spartacus, Ben Hur and The Robe deal more explicitly with Christian themes, but sadly, they are not bloody enough. We must remember, even pre-Christian religions took the afterlife seriously and these men act like a good Christian husband/ father should in the face of evil. The practice self-control until the time is right and unleash Holy Hell upon those forces of evil, willing to sacrifice themselves for the nobler cause. These are the opposite of pagan fests like Avatar. But, I cannot add them to the list of Holy films because weaker Christians may see this as justification for non-Christian religions. An obviously Holy work like Passion of the Christ is not here because it needs no analysis.

I also struggle with Titanic because the consequences of premarital sex are dire (but I really hate James Cameron and he offers poor role models for women)."

from the desk/ harddrive of Mark Driscoll.

____________________________

again, chill people. This is satire. By the way, if you are over here because you hate Driscoll and think this proves some of your biases correct, it does not. Like all of us, you included, his views of the world can create moments of great insight and goofy pronouncements. He is just a guy with a big bully pulpit, but no better or worse than anyone else. Man, I hate explaining this stuff because people (Christians) just don't get it.

The 10 Most Demonic Films according to Mark Driscoll

Many of us have all read the stories, the sermon, or seen how Mark Driscoll, pastor of the mega-Seattle-church Mars Hill has declared Avatar the most demonic film of all time. Of course, it is evil on numerous fronts. Not only is it a recruitment film for Paganism that shows advancement of culture as an evil. It is also a big budget action film and everyone knows Mark, the hip dude he is, is a fan of Indie flicks… of course the perfect films are Indie Action films with lots of male bonding and blood which sound great on his home theater system, which he tells us about in hisAvatar sermon.

Anyway, we have found Mark’s list of the Ten Most Demonic Films Ever made. Here is the list, borrowed by our investigative journalist/ hacker:

1. Avatar- Blue Pagans that don’t believe in sin defeating the forces of progress and manliness. I might as well add its precursors Pocahontas, Dances With Wolves and Ferngully which had the same sickening message.
2. The Matrix Reloaded/ Revolutions- not only did they suck in comparison to the first, but these Buddhist love fests also support the ending of wars between good and evil with negotiated peace settlements. That flies in the face of Revelations and the lake of fire (and manly filmmaking).
3. Thelma and Louise- Although they get what they deserve in the end for upsetting the proper Godly order of things, they do so on their terms and not punished by God alone for their sins of not obeying their husbands. Feminism is dangerous.
4. The Mission- a sickening example of the Liberal Social Gospel of pacifism. People like Brian McLaren must have used it as a template for their feminization and wimpification of “Christianity.”
5. The Village- Another strong willed woman leaving behind the proper boundaries set up by her loving, Godly parents. She is not punished, but instead brings down the natural order
6. It’s a Wonderful Life/ Heaven Can Wait/ The Preacher’s Wife- Angel Idolatry at its most evil. The early church stoned people for this kind of thing. Now we praise it. Sickening.
7. Brokeback Mountain- Disgusting attempt to take a symbol of manliness and turn it into a recruitment film for homosexual behavior. These are weak men in need of redemption, not Oscar worthy.
8. Dogma- I loved the language and the violence, but they lost me with a black disciple and headed towards heresy with a Canadian chick playing a God that could die. I hope Kevin Smith chokes on a chicken wing.
9. Star Wars- before the sickening paganism of Avatar, we had the anti-Christian combination of Buddhism, moral ambiguity and witchcraft in Star Wars. It would be higher on the list if the protagonists were not human.
10. Say Anything- What started as a great manly tale, especially in light of the lead character’s kickboxing training ended as a feminist dream in which the male’s will is subjugated by the woman’s.

Mark list did not include kid flicks, but there was a rant against children’s films, “Of course, this list is devoid of children’s movies which can be the most insidiously evil because they hide their demonic agendas behind toys and talking animals. Needless to say All Dogs Go to Heaven (with its inclusive gospel) is the vilest, followed byRatatouille, Wall-E, any Disney film with a female in charge and Lion King.”

His list of Demonic films did not include these obvious choices. He felt he should not include them because they are based upon books. So the Demonism was there before they were turned into films. These choices are obvious: Golden Compass, the Harry Potter films, the Twilight series,The Da Vinci Code and Jurassic Park (if the dinosaurs had eaten Jeff Goldblum’s postmodern atheist scientist, the films would be redeemed).

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its satire- chill Mark disciples

Academy Award Nominations 2010- my Oscar thoughts

The 2010 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Oscar nominations earlier today. See here.

If I did not give you my thoughts on the Academy Awards, the only major award I feel has any credence, you would be disappointed. While the Grammy’s have become a complete joke over the years, only propping up the fading music industry’s few remaining top-sellers, with an occasional original artist relegated to winning in something as obscure as the “best contemporary folk” or “best alternative,” the Oscars still have some credibility.

Sure, more often than not the best film of the year does not win. However, the independent cinema does get noticed regularly, especially in screenwriting and acting categories and the film industry does not need a referral to hospice like the music industry which is simultaneously suffering from brain cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

Yes, there are the travesties of tripe like Crash, American Beauty, Chicago, Braveheart and A Beautiful Mind winning best picture during the last decade-and-a-half or Ron Howard winning best director for being a nice guy. Sure, it is stupid to expand the Best Picture nominations to 10 films, thereby disallowing my grouse about the 2-3 superior films left out (while simultaneously allowing me to complain about the lack of others).

I have seen most of the major motion pictures in contention this year.

So, here are my initial complaints and praises as a guy that thinks he knows a lot about film:

1. 1. Where the heck is Where the Wild Things Are? I understand that many people did not get its genius, but leaving it out of technical categories like Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Cinematography is a miscarriage of justice on all accounts. Aside from Avatar, it was the most visually stunning film of the year. Arrgh.

2. I enjoy seeing District 9 as a Best picture nominee, even if it does not deserve inclusion. If you are going to slum, where is The Hangover? What about small gems like Moon (not one nomination), Sugar and In the Loop? I am glad to see In the Lop included for screenplay, which is deserved (but cannot believe there is no acting supporting nomination for Peter Capaldi). With 10 nominees it seems this year’s bridesmaid is The Messenger which got great early buzz, but was forgotten. Seriously, Blind Side? C’mon, Bush is no longer in office.

3. After being shut out of the Golden Globes, I was pleased to see Jeremy Renner nominated for Best Actor in my favorite film of the year, The Hurt Locker (not even close). His performance is so natural it can be missed, which leads me to Jeff Bridges, the most underrated actor in cinematic history. Crazy Heart has not made it to Tampa, but I don’t care. Put the Oscar in bubble wrap and send it to him today. He is one of the top 3 actors in the world and it is about time he finally gets the love he has always deserved. Oh yeah, where was Sam Rockwell? Duh.

4. As usual Screenplay has the most interesting and edgy nominees. It is always the place Oscar gives love to those it ignores at other times. However, this year Up In the Air wins for adapted since the logjam is too big for it to push through for Best Picture. Inglourious Basterds gives Quentin his second pseudo-best picture statuette. Oscar was smart to stay away from Avatar in these categories, unless they put it in Adapted Screenplay and mention Pocahontas or Dances with Wolves.

5. I will be rooting hard for Kathryn Bigelow and Hurt Locker all night. While I think the best director category is strong, it is her time. Tarantino has grown up, but the ending of IB left me cold and showed weakness. Reitman will get an Oscar soon enough (and in many other years it would be his- plus he gets one for screenplay), while Cameron can never be dismissed (plus Avatar is a bigger achievement in directing than Titanic). Lee Daniels is the “happy to be here” nominee that they always have.

6. Best Supporting Actress is the toughest of all to gauge. That category has no weakness. Best Supporting Actor forgot some better performances, but Waltz was great. I wish Oscar had remembered others from The Hurt Locker in this category. Give Bullock her Julia Roberts memorial playing-against-type statue. Whatever.

7. In other news, I love that there were at least 5 animated films worthy of inclusion (but, where is Ponyo?). We know what wins though. Glad to see The Cove and Food, Inc. as best docs. I hated a couple of the scores included and could give you my treatise on why they always screw up on the technical awards, but I have already ranted (see #1) a bit. Plus, I don’t want to put you to sleep. By the way, it doesn’t matter since Avatar wins all of them (besides Cinematography- I don’t see how it is special there?).

I will try a running commentary of complaints, snark and praise on Oscar night if you care.

By the way, here is my list of the Top Films of the Year. I still stand by it.

Top Film Experiences

As you will note, I am entitling this grouping of posts, "Top Experiences" because I understand that one guy with very specific tastes cannot truly see or judge the quality of every piece of culture for any year, even if he is a pretty discerning film watcher or music listener. It is impossible to properly judge the movie of the year, unless he is paid to see each and every film (and actually sees them). Of course, sometimes it is impossible to judge which is better between such disparate genres as we saw in 2007 (is Ratatouille superior to There Will be Blood? Is No Country for Old Men better made or more artful than The Bourne Ultimatum? How can one compare The Diving Bell and The Butterfly to Knocked Up or King of Kong? They are each singularly brilliant, but radically different usages of lighting, script, camera and editing equipment). To be sure bias creeps in, as it does with music (my specialty), drink, literature and food. I fully acknowledge this while still assuming my superior opinion on most things.

The top experience is even more apropos when speaking of films. Unlike music or television, I am unable to experience everything put out within that calendar year. If I live in any city not named New York or Los Angeles, many of the best films of the year will not be seen until January or February, so I am unable to judge, as a Tampanian movies like The Messenger, A Serious Man or Crazy Heart. If I take my task as an unpaid critic with less than 100 readers seriously I cannot compile my list until I have seen at least what is available for the year, which is why I am running to the Redbox and Blockbuster for last minute screenings and trying to schedule times to see Up in the Air and Avatar before the year runs out. Still, since I am not a professional I do not have to feel any guilt that I have not built up the intestinal fortitude to sit through Precious or The Road (I will, but not yet. I am still recovering from Dexter’s season finale).

But since this is about experience, I am comfortable with my present list. it is all about how these films affected me. It is why my #1 is #1. It is the best film of the year, plus it is entertaining and a great film experience. It is also why Zombieland makes my list. Sure, it is not one of the best films of the year, but it is one of the best film experiences of the year (same with The Hangover). So, here is the list.

20. Away We Go- First of all, I must admit my disdain for Sam Mendes, the director of this flick. The maker of a number of overrated pieces of supercilious treacle, I only ventured into this experience because I love my wife and like Dave Eggars, the writer. I enjoyed it, even though it was mired in cliché and stereotypes in a way James Cameron would have been embarrassed by. Very seldom am I drawn to a film that is so flawed and has such an arrogance of the natural superiority of its main characters to all others that orbit around them in a film. It was enjoyable because Kristi and I saw ourselves throughout the film and the acting is top notch.

19. It Might Get Loud- While I would have picked Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead or Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine over Jack White, I will not fault the filmmaker for his oversight of my generation (I guess there is about 15-16 years between each guitarist). I love watching these guys talking about the craft of music making and letting us in the creative process more than Behind The Music ever did.

18. Star Trek- Compared to most reviewers and fans, I had major problems with the film, finding it terribly flawed and a little too enamored with its own special effects. However, Chris Pine captures Capt. Kirk with such ease that even Shatner could not do, even though he created the role. I felt it was a disservice to Zachary Quinto, the new Spock, to have him share time with Leonard Nimoy. It was a reminder that Quinto was playing Spock, while Nimoy is Spock. The plot was convoluted and broke cardinal SciFi/ time travel rules, but it was terribly entertaining when it wasn't trying to impress you.

17. Ponyo- The prettiest animated film of the year.

16. Food, Inc.- Not an enjoyable experience to watch America's animals, food and people(consumers and producers/ farmers) treated with such disregard by major corporations, but enlightening even to those of us that have been involved in the fight for a number of years. The interview with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms is worth the price of the DVD.

15. (500) Days of Summer- I hate rom coms and did find a few too many avoidable clichés apparent, but it is fresh and I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a force to be reckoned with for years to come. I think his time with John Lithgow on 3^rd Rock was instrumental to his maturity as an actor at such a young age.

14. Coraline- There were a lot of really good animated films for adults this year, huh? I like that.

13. Zombieland- It is basically the same film as The Road, but funnier. It was no Shaun of the Dead, but this was the second most fun thing to sit through in a theater after #3. The performances were pitch perfect, especially Woody Harrelson and the "cameo that cannot be named." Do not dismiss this flick, especially if you have an even slightly demented sense of humor. The zombies are really just a conceit for a Road-Based Buddy Comedy.

12. Sugar- Second best "little" movie of the year, Sugar catches you off guard and becomes the ant-sports film, throwing aside classic clichés of movies like Blindside, the Rookie and Remember the Titans, going for universal and realism instead. I applaud a sports film that sports fans and non fans can enjoy and think on. It is the ying for a perfect chick flick's yang.

11. Avatar- Dumb plot. Imbecilic dialog. Too preachy. Very ,very cool.

10. Inglourious Basterds- Did I spell it right? Not the masterpiece Tarantino promised us and still well short of Pulp Fiction, but it is a Top 3 by him and he is finally showing a bit (just a bit) of maturity, holding back on some of his excesses for to move the story forward. I had hoped this would be much better and the ending did leave me terribly cold (the last act in general). That said, the acting is top notch with the most appealingly repulsive Nazi since Schindler's List.

9. Fantastic Mr. Fox- A slight disappointment due to my love of Wes Anderson, but still masterful. What have we learned from Anderson's children's flick? What we already knew. Anderson's visual sense and framing of shots has found its perfect format. Each of Anderson's films feels a bit animated, so this is a natural progression for him. The highlight of the film is the use of "cuss' for actual cuss words, as in "clustercuss" which should become the word of the year.

8. Up!- I don't think the guys at Pixar like girls (they have never had one as a lead), but they seem to like really old men and talking dogs (best talking dogs in a film ever- is there an Oscar for this?). The opening scene is my kind of melancholy, like what Watchmen was trying to accomplish with its opener (but ultimately failing at), telling an entire history in depth in under 5 minutes with little dialog. Our kids liked it, but less than us. When is Pixar gonna admit they make adult movies and hand us something PG-13 or R?

7. Where the Wild things Are- You either "get" this movie or you don't. There seems to be little in between. If you don't "get it" don't worry. It is more about how you look at the world than intelligence or taste. Very seldom have I seen such an original vision from a "mainstream" movie, fully realized and unlike anything else I have seen. It deserves an extra star or two for that alone. I loved the performances, especially Max and visually it is the most stunning work I have seen since There Will be Blood. It better get the Oscar for Cinematography or at least a nomination. Plus, as the parent of kids around Max's age, this movie (which is NOT a kids movie- too long and existential), I feel confident that I have never seen another film EMBODY a 9 year old boy so perfectly.

6. In the Loop- I start giggling when I think of this movie. It has the most inventive use of offensive language ever. Imagine Oscar Wilde with a potty mouth. The plot centers around England drumming up ‘intelligence” to enter an international conflict at the behest of the United States in the early 21^st Century, but the country to be invaded, the Prime Minister and The President don’t matter. What matter is the inanity of the main characters and the insults hurled at them by the Prime Minister’s Director of Communication. Brilliant!

5. District 9- Wow! I am sure this is what it felt like to watch The Terminator in 1984, before it was The Terminator, you know when it was just a movie by an unknown director coming out of nowhere to blow people away. This is what science fiction was built for (and only the 2^nd best scifi flick of the year), to ask big questions and to have really cool special effects. This is everything Transformers and the like are not. It is in the same league as the original Matrix and a half step below Star Wars as an action sci fi.

4. The Hangover- The funniest film I have seen in years and the most fun I have had in a theater in ages, even if I could have done without the final credits. I laughed so much I missed crucial scenes. I hope with 10 movies nominated for best film, the Oscars get brave and nominate it. In fact, I will assure you it will be nominated for screenplay.

3. Moon- This could be the long lost sister to the film Gattaca, asking the most basic question of all, "what makes us human?" with a sense of melancholic humanism that has been lost among the blow-em-up action that masquerades as Science Fiction in modern cinema. The perpetually underrated Sam Rockwell mines the depths of his psyche in a role reminiscent of Tom Hanks inCastaway only far superior in carrying a movie with no other actors onscreen, with Kevin Spacey playing the role of "Wilson' as the creepiest computer this side of Hal from 2001. This is the little film that could and should be seen (like Once 2 years ago).

2. Up In The Air- I am so predictable with my top 2. Huh? As Dennis Green, former coach of the Cardinals kind of said, "It is what we thought it is."

1. The Hurt Locker- The critics that are calling it the best of the year are not exaggerating. I am sure, even after seeing everything else on my list, it will not fall below 2 or 3. The tension builds in the first 5 minutes and never relents in this movie that takes us into the heart of the adrenaline addiction many soldiers experience. It takes no sides on war issues (which I appreciate), instead taking us into the darkness and light that makes up a soldier's life, why a young man would risk his life and that of his buddies, and how hard it is to fit into a nice society once you have been taught to live on the edge in wartime. Jeremy Renner is scary good as the leader of a bomb squad in Iraq circa 2004 and Kathryn Bigelow's direction better get serious love at Oscar time. She has done something many men have not been able to do, take us to Iraq and back without making us feel dirty or preached at. Don't be scared though. This movie does not sensationalize war or bloody the screen. It is more Jarhead with heightened anxiety and less Platoon, Private Ryan or Flags of Our Fathers which fits the war being fought.

less successful the "Gospel and..." television shows

I just saw online that Chris Seay, who I used to work with, is writing a new book on how the Gospel interacts with something in popular culture. Taking a cue from the "What Would Jesus Tell (name a famous person- real or fiction from pop culture)" sermon series popularized by Willow Creek Church and numerous seeker churches world-wide or the ubiquitous "God and the Movies" pretty much every church preaches during the dreary summer days to gather attention, Chris has added to his repertoire the ABC series LOST (in the past he has written critically acclaimed books about The Sopranos, The Matrix films and Enron).

When I was preaching regularly I, too, would pick artifacts of popular culture for sermons based on the interactions between that subject and the Bible (or Gospel, in Christian vernacular). Some of my favorites were the television shows The X Files and Millennium, the films Jerry Maguire, Magnolia or Dead Man Walking and musicians like Ben Folds, Pearl Jam and Lauren Hill. Needless to say, besides The X-Files I did not have Chris' propensity to pick up on cultural phenomena, usually picking things regulated to a niche very quickly (or at least a select audience).

My love of the grays and the margins usually leads me to popular culture that does not translate as well to mass audiences (any reader of this blog knows that). Sure, a series on the Gospel According to Coldplay would draw a slightly larger audience than the Gospel According to Frightened Rabbit (okay, no one would be interested in the treatment of Frightened Rabbit), but I don't like Coldplay. And who cares about Jesus and the television show Chuck, one of the better shows on television (but with no cultural resonance for some reason) or Dexter.

Now here is where I am going with this... Chris has picked some things that translate well to his idea (The Sopranos work like a warped Davidic kingdom and the Matrix threw every religious idea in history at us). But, there are many things out there that are probably left outside of the "Gospel and..." treatment (many of which have been preached less successfully in churches). I have seen pastors try to use modern classics like the Scooby Do movies, The Fast and The Furious, GI Joe, Transformers 2 and Night at the Museum 2, stretching the film (sometimes they haven't even seen it) and Gospel to a breaking point.

There are many films that just don't fit, especially some of the stuff I like. And the television shows I love would either not translate to a "Gospel and..." book or 3 people would buy it. Here are my favorites shows. Imagine a book entitled:

The Gospel and Dexter (exploring Dexter's relationship to Deuteronomic and Levitical law)

The Gospel and Chuck (Chuck saving the world as metaphor for evangelism)

The Gospel and 30 Rock (Liz as Moses leading her people to the promised land, Jack as Yahweh, Tracy as Aaron and Kenneth as the 10 Commandments)

The Gospel and The Wire (a 2000 page exploration of conflict between the differing branches within the Davidic Kingdom at the time of Solomon, with McNulty and Omar as competing Jesus figures... or something like that)

The Gospel and Pushing Daisies (about how even God cannot resurrect an under appreciated quirky series on broadcast television that is too smart for its own good)

Sure some shows would be easy, The Gospel and the Office (trivial, but sells well), The Gospel and My Name is Earl (written by an 8th grader) and The Gospel and The Simpsons (D'oh).

Some other less-than-classics could include The Gospel and Mad Men (just wait, it is coming), The Gospel and Weeds (hmmmm, what is this one about?), The Gospel and CSI (We dodged that bullet) and The Gospel and Grey's Anatomy. I am sure someone has written the Gospel and American Idol or Survivor.

So, share with me either 1) the worst "Gospel and..." thing you have ever seen/ heard/ read or (God forbid) done

and

2) The darkest or worst idea for such a book or series (no "Gospel according to Saw" types- too easy), or that thing that would stretch The Gospel or bible beyond imagination to fit. Justify it if possible.

by the way, I would buy a book called The Gospel According to District 9!

time waster- All things Potter

Waiting a few days to see Potter with the friends (9 of us), but for the sake of Potter freaks everywhere (I am not one, but count Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban as my favorite film), I leave direct you to Paste Magazine's compendium of Potter articles you will not get anywhere else, including: playlists for Hogawart's houses (musically I may be a little more Slitherin), Harry's alliance with Satan,

a trivia quiz for Potterheads only,

some truly disturbing Potter merchandise, and (oh yeah) a review.

Link to the entire compendium and some funny cartoons.

By the way, if you wonder which House I reside in, it is

Get Sorted By The Hogwarts Sorting Hat!

fighting the power 20 years ago today with Spike Lee

While reminiscing about previous July 4ths, Kristi and I found huge holes in our memories regarding the holiday. Not being particularly patriotic people and not having a great love of fireworks, we have had so many quiet Independence Days that we have forgotten most. Sure, I remember the Esplanade in Boston or the crappy Tomb Raider flick, even Mexican food with friends and a couple of parties, but that is about it, except for a couple of distinct memories, one from exactly 10 years ago and another from exactly 20.

I mentioned our July 4^th plans for 1999 in my last blog, spending time in Boston both in the city and in Schaumberg with our Arab friends. However, 20 years ago I remember the music I was listening to and the movie I saw on July 4. Why? Because this week they released the 20^th anniversary DVD of a life changing movie moment for me.

On July 4, 1989 I was a 20 year old college Junior living in the Theta Chi fraternity house in Tallahassee, FL. I had plans for later in the day to watch fireworks with my old roommate (shout out to Mike Houghton) and his friends and I had just bought Don Henley’s End of the Innocence (89 was a good music year with Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, The Replacements, Depeche Mode, De la Soul, King’s X and The Pixies releasing great albums). In fact, I would be attending a seminal show in 3 days, on my 21^st birthday.* Henley's (along with Browne's and Niel Young's) album was a late 80s Liberal college student dream work.

But, on this day before heading out to a patriotic event, I journeyed to the local cinema by my lonesome for a matinee showing of the 2^nd most controversial movie of the year** which had just opened in Tallahassee, Do the Right Thing. As became a common occurrence, I found no friends to watch a Spike Lee movie with me and was the only or near only white guy in the theater. Watching that movie is probably the single most patriotic thing I have ever done on July 4.

It blew my mind, re-oriented my world view, cemented my ideas about race and disturbed the peace-nick in me. I had always walked in between 2 worlds… frat guy but tee totaling Jesus freak that danced til 2 AM and got up early for church, Southern Baptist/ Campus Crusader but political Liberal (by the day’s standard) that sucked at packaged evangelism, member of a closeted racist organization (my fraternity) advocating racial equality in the Greek system, a poor kid masquerading as something else. This film shook up both of those worlds.

From the opening bombast of Public Enemy’s Fight The Power to the uncomfortable hilarity of the racist stereotyping scene from every ethnicity to the closing moments of racial tensions setting off a powder keg of riots and the ending quotes by Malcom X and MLK, I sat there in stunned silence, tears in my eyes and stomach churning. I remember being noticeably downbeat at the fireworks presentation that evening.

The DVD has just been released on its 20^th anniversary. Bush I has given way to Obama, but I think the power of the film has not wavered. It is simply one of the best films ever made and the gutsiest I can think of. All of my white friends judged it when it came out, but none saw it. Of course, life imitated art a few years later with the Rodney King verdict in LA, with much defamation of Spike Lee and his film. It was blamed for the riots with no understanding of what the film was trying to say (honestly, it reminds me of Fight Club in the total misunderstanding people have of the movie). See it again or for the first time on its 20^th birthday… and remember to Fight the Power.

*I saw The Replacements, one of the greatest bands to ever grace a stage in America. I was given backstage passes, sharing words and food with a noticeably drunk Paul Westerberg, strangely turning down his offer of a beer opting instead for a signed drumstick, backstage pass and t-shirt (proclaiming “I was ripped off for $18 bucks by The Replacements”).

**#1 most controversial? The Last Temptation of Christ. Proving that talking about race is only trumped by talking about religion for controversy. Looking back, that movie was pretty lame.

my thoughts on the Blue Like Jazz screenplay

A dear friend of mine is one of the producers of the Blue Like Jazz film project so I may seem more important than I really am. There is no other reason that a person of my stature with only a few hundred readers would get his hands on the screenplay that many are talking about. The only other thing I have read is from Gabe Lyons, and I am not Gabe Lyons. He produces big conferences and writes books. I write a blog and have better hair and music taste. Plus, I did not love the book. I merely liked the book, but I was not its main audience (too old and cynical).

To be Hollywood-y, I will tell you to think The Graduate meets Fight Club, without the sex, violence and multiple personalities. It is not your preacher's Christian film. In fact, it is light years away from and ahead of what normally passes for "Christian" entertainment (Fireproof, etc). The reason for this is a different agenda. Imagine getting a bunch of talented people together (that just happen to be Christians). Imagine that they have one goal and that goal is not to make a Christian film, or evangelize. Imagine that goal is simply to make a very good film that entertains, but the main character happens to have a Christian background which he is struggling with. 

This friend wanted my honest assessment and I can tell you this… it is quite good. It is funny, edgy (but not too edgy), honest, brash and humble. Yes, the comparisons to Garden State, Good Will Hunting, All the Real Girls, Juno and Little Miss Sunshine, and any other coming of age story are warranted. It is a Christian Indie flick, and it works. It is reasonably Sundance-y and will be embraced by a similar audience, unless the audience is prejudiced.

They have started with the thing any film must have to be good... a very good script. Now it is up to the filmmakers to make the movie the screenplay deserves. 

It is not as witty as Juno (which is not a bad thing- Juno may have been too witty), but is much more realistic than Garden State and its ending does not make you suspend any disbelief (unlike GS), which you have to do in Elizabethtown and any other hackneyed romantic dramedy masquerading as a personal growth flicks. No airport reunions here. Thank God. I start with the ending because it has broken many good movies in the past (you know, guy gets resolution to all his problems and the girl in the last 5 minutes).

Luckily, this ending gives you just what you need to be satisfied (and maybe shed a real tear) without resorting to the tricks of most Hollywood films. That is a credit to the filmmakers. In fact, the ending of this film is its strength. It is nice to see such a strong pay off and I hope the filmmakers keep it. Test audiences be damned if they don’t like it! Plus, the redemptive spirit of the final act is powerful and I connected with it because of similar experiences in college, mostly due to the grace of friends after I was broken by my own stupidity. I connected with that and the writer's disdain for Christianeze like "Bro" which I also despise.

Don't get me wrong, the screenplay is not perfect. There are a few flourishes I appreciate, but am skeptical of seeing done on screen. However, seldom have I seen a screenplay (or film for that matter) which does make me say, "I may have done that differently," or "is that really the best option?"

That said, Blue Like Jazz will be a Rorschach test for its viewers, with each of their own prejudices brought to bear. It mines Christian and secular Left stereotypes (both of which I find in myself), finding something in each to laugh at, but moves beyond these to find the humanity in "the other" each audience member has dismissed in the past. This happens if that audience member chooses to let go and become enraptured by this painfully funny tale based upon Don Miller’s own life, but fictionalized. It is not for the closed minded, no matter what their stripe, but neither was the book. The first scenes will find audiences not embracing the “Christian” label squirming because of the insider church language. However, the setup is needed and without this the pathos of the central character would be unexplained and the growth would be non-existent. And trust me, Christians will find plenty to make them squirm after the insider beginning.

My only concern for the film project is that an audience will be hard to find. Too many conservative Christians will find the reality, the honesty and the rawness disconcerting, realizing they are more comfortable laughing at those they disagree with instead of embracing them as friends and truth-tellers, while some of the more reasonable and progressive critics will come with their own agendas, looking for an evil proselytizer under the director’s slate board, not realizing that every protagonist in a coming of age film has a “born again” or epiphany moment, whether it is Zach Braff discontinuing the use of psychotropic drugs in Garden State or Seth Rogan realizing that he must find gainful employment in Knocked Up. It is basic to the plot of such a film. Just because Jesus is in the midst, does not change the basic arch of a story. I hope the “open minded” see that, unlike the writers of Pitchfork which dismiss most albums by religious musicians (see reviews of Cold War Kids and Manchester Orchestra). Of course, Miller’s books have found a large audience, so I think it has a very good chance.

I am very impressed and cannot wait for the soundtrack, if they get the rights. Hopefully it will be filled with Coltrane, Monk, Modest Mouse, Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire, Ani DiFranco, Cold War Kids, Welcome Wagon and other Indie Rockers from Asthmatic Kitty and Kill Rock Stars.

So, spread the word. Get the buzz started. This movie has the potential to make you proud. It has the potential to be the film most of us have been waiting for, an entertaining and truthful story with Christian and redemptive themes that makes us laugh and we can show our friends without embarrassment. It is about time.

btw, the filmmakers are looking for funding right now. If you are interested, or know others interested in investing in such a project with a very good business plan, let me know. I will put you in touch with the right people (and I have nothing to personally gain from any of this, beyond a movie I can proudly own- and maybe they will send me a nice t-shirt).

what conservatism is not good at and what Patrol magazine is good at

I have been trying to stay away from anything that smacks of politics, but I cannot help it. Hopefully this post will find resonance on both sides of the fence...

The wonderful Patrol magazine has brought up some of the weaknesses of conservative Christian approaches to culture and art lately. Below are a couple of links. What blows me away about Patrol magazine is that it is essentially a pop culture magazine written by a bunch of Christian college kids and grads from a college affiliated with a very conservative Christian group, Campus Crusade for Christ (who were important to my college spiritual journey). If this magazine had been around, or I had found more conservative Christian kids like these I may have had a different journey. I moved a bit to the left in most areas because of my views of culture, which were not mainstream Christian (however, they are mainstream at Patrol).

By not having mainstream Christian views of culture as something bad that needed to be transformed I stood out like a sore thumb, even in high school (while a Southern Baptist, I never fit in and never drank the kool aid, choosing to stick with the sugar cookies offered). So, I moved out of the ghetto culturally which pushed me to align myself with those a bit more left in their views. This also pushed me (along with my views on race, justice and the environment) to the left politically (albeit with a core libertarian DNA). This is also why I am not dismissive of cultural conservatism... it is my home and I left with no malice, no animosity and no burned bridges. I still love those guys and consider them family (and love it when I find myself in agreement with them).

So, I moved left because of my love of culture (music, film, art, literature) because I felt I had no home on the right. What I have noticed is, with the advent of the Internet age, enlightened Conservatives with a love of culture finding each other and making their voices heard, even those from Christian backgrounds. It is a new conservatism I hope wins out in the end. It will be very good for the country and world. I wish them luck and will cheer from the sidelines. I just wish I had found them as a teen or college student.

Anyway, Patrol magazine is the magazine I would have written for, had they accepted me, 15 years ago had it existed (or I could have started it- yeah, right).

So, here are some of the critiques of the way Christians and conservatives handle culture, by some in the camp (found the link through Patrol).

First of all, from the defunct Conservatism's Slate-light Culture 11 comes this critique by Joe Carter, the editor, formerly of Evangelical Outpost:

Conservatism works best when it focuses on culture rather than on government. Indeed, when it comes to government, conservatives are quite clueless. Unlike libertarians, liberals, socialists, Marxists, and other advocates of utopian political philosophies, conservatism has no idea how to build a healthy social and political structure. We do know, however, how to recognize a sick one. Just as physicians define bodily health as the absence of sickness, conservatives view the absence of sickness as the primary gauge of the health of the culture and body politic. Our political and cultural objectives, therefore, are similar to that of medical doctors – preventing and eliminating sickness.

I totally agree except for one detail. I think Conservatism, especially in its Christian form is not particularly well suited or good at the creation of the art which makes up much of a particular cultural language. It is, Carter states, very good at critique of culture (and I find myself in agreement much of the time when it stands up and says "stop."). This does not mean it cannot create better forms of cultural language than it can government (which it cannot do because it stands against it). However, it much be careful not to repeat its past mistake of substituting propaganda for art.

Read the rest of the article about self censorship here.

Here are some examples of good cultural critique of Christian and conservative approaches to culture, especially art.

what killed Culture 11

Conservative safe zones

why Christian film making usually does not work (hint- it is propaganda masquerading as art. not art with a strong spiritual bent)

Check out Patrol, and follow them on twitter. Let me know if you like them.

_______________________________

update: Read this great piece on Conservative journalism and the sad demise of Culture 11, one that attempted to fill the void (there is lots of conservative punditry and opinion, but very little good conservative journalism. Why, they are good at pointing out why they are right, but poor at telling stories). Culture 11 was pretty good conservative journalism with moments of brilliance. Alas, it failed.

Watchmen Tonight!

I am venturing out tonight to see Watchmen on IMAX at 10PM tonight, a little past my bedtime considering the flick is close to 3 hours (I think anything shorter would be a problem, in fact I think it should be a miniseries on TV). My anticipation is palpable, a mix of dread and excitement. I know I will be disappointed and I know I must see this flick. I have been waiting for someone to film this unfilmable movie for over 20 years and I am a little wary of the director. Snyder's interpretation of 300 was impressive, but that book narratively simple and primarily visual. It was not layered with subtext and considered one of the great works of literature of the 20th Century. This expectation caused the visionary Terry Gilliam to give up on adapting it, as it did the equally impressive Paul Greengrass. I don't yet think Zack Snyder is in their league, but I could be wrong.

As an 18 year old Freshman in college I stumbled into a comic book store like a recovering addict in the wrong part of town hoping for a quick score before getting on with his life. Yes, I just compared comics to drugs. See, I never had trouble with any of the normal addictive substances, not in my gene pool I guess. However, comic books are different. I have been addicted and quit cold turkey numerous times. As a teen my addiction was $50 per month (with $100 per month binges periodically). I stopped when I realized I was too involved emotionally in the fantasies I was reading about.

In college, partly due to Watchmen my addiction reached a consistent $75-$100 per month level until I realized how much I was spending and how much I did not like the guys at the comic book stores. You know that stereotype in the Simpsons? True. 100%. I did not want to become that guy, so I stopped cold turkey again.

In grad school, I was like a social drinker with periodic binges, but I kept the addiction under control. As a working adult with the financial resources, I flirted with it again, but never let it get out of hand. After marriage, I have ventured into the stores periodically for special stuff like The Dark Knight Strikes Back or Red Rocket Seven but I stay away at all other times.

Last year, my mentor and pastor friend Geoff (over 50 and still into comics) took me to a comic book store to look for something. I could compare it to an alcoholic venturing into a bar and asking for club soda, but pointing out the the other patrons the glories of single malt scotch. I told Geoff that he was potentially making me stumble, but I made it out clean.

Now I feed that addiction with the local library. I check out every graphic novelization I can find, read it in a few hours and return it. I guess it is like a recovering heroin addict repeatedly watching Trainspotting, but never spending money on blow.

I probably should stay away from the film adaptations, but that would be impossible. I must see how they pull this thing off tonight, even if it is a glorious disaster. So, back to that moment in the comic book store as an 18 year old recovering addict. Watchmen was the good stuff I had always looked for as a teen. It satisfied my longing and helped me realize the potential of this art form. Every few years, I pull the trade paperback out of its wrapper to re-read it (I dare not remove the original 12 part series from their wrappers- unlike fine wine they do not get better with age and should not be consumed). It still holds up.

Tonight I will get a fix, but I will return home and stay out of those dens of iniquity filled with guys I do not want to become (I like my hair short, living in my own house, talking about other stuff and being thin)... the comic book store.