A Year In Review

As 2007 draws to a close, I felt it necessary for internal reflection. Of all the years that would top my list as the most memorable, I never would have thought that 2007 was going to be the year, at least according to the mind of a young man with his future still ahead of him.

When you're a teenager who's just graduated high school, there are many thoughts that race through your head, but none of them is that it will take you another thirteen years before you find the woman of your dreams and finally marry her. It's amazing how a fantasized future of your life hardly ever ends up compared to how the cards are laid out onto the table. I never would had even imagined that I would have been married and living in the state of Tennessee back in 1994.

When I graduated, I was very interested in pursuing an education and career in accounting. It took all of six weeks to come to the conclusion that business accounting and book keeping were two very different things and I had no interest in either of them by the end of my first semester. After attempting to attend my first "real" accounting class, I had quickly discovered that the flashing lights in my head wasn't a "blue light special" (I was currently employed with Kmart at that time), but rather a career crisis that was slowly growing into an uncontrollable monster that would not be tamed for another decade.

That monster, when it finally reared its ugly head, was a deep-seeded desire to be involved in the filmmaking industry. Not knowing exactly what I wanted to do, I crammed my second semester full of required curriculum along with a class entitled "History of the Motion Picture." Within a month I was hooked. I found the entire process fascinating, following it from the tiny seed of a story idea and screenplay all the way to a fully-bloomed completely executed motion picture as the end product.

However, those who know me well know that I don't always have the greatest sense of self confidence. Once the monster completely manifested itself before me, I realized that getting my foot into the door of the film industry was going to be just as difficult as getting into a well respected film school. Of course it took several years to fully discover that trying to get into the film industry wasn't exactly the smartest decision someone like myself could make.

I'm even willing to admit that moving halfway across the country was a feeble attempt at the possibility of a film career. Although it did present itself with several additional benefits that were not obtainable while living in southern California, moving out of my parent’s house and living on my own for the first time, in an economy that I could actually afford, were great bonuses.

Things never really ended up the way I wanted them to. For starters, it would have been beneficial for my "budding film career" to complete the application process. After having at least two (although I swear there was three at one time) letters of recommendation, I chickened out and never finished it. I'm not sure what I was really scared of, other than the obvious. Rejection. Thank God I at least had the foresight to secure employment before embarking on a 2,200 mile journey that would plant me in the welcoming arms of Nashville, Tennessee.

Secondly, it was something that I couldn't actually afford. I didn't grow up in a home where my path to education was going to be an easy one, paved with either daddy's credit or a nifty trust fund issued to me that was I could dip into once I reached the age of eighteen. I'm even willing to admit that the "monster" has never truly left me, at least not completely. And I'm pretty sure that it never will. The desire to finish school hasn't left me either, it just won't come anytime soon. There is debt that needs to be paid off. So until that's all gone except for the house, I won't be cracking open any books.

So, where was I? What does all of this have to do with 2007, you might ask? Plenty. When I started racking my brain about how I wanted to approach this post, this was the first thing that had entered my mind. And it's quite appropriate, if I connect all of the dots for you.

I never would have met my wife if I hadn't had the inflated desires to have a career in the film industry. Tennessee was the destination that would eventually change my life. I've come to the conclusion that it's the people around your life that will change it, as long as you take advantage of their friendship. When we first met in May of 2005, neither of us was ready for a relationship. It was obvious that God still needed to straighten a few things out in our lives before we were ready for the final plunge.

Eighteen months came and went. When the fall of 2006 finally arrived, it was divine intervention that brought us back together. She responded to a random email that I had sent out, and through that brought about reconciliation she felt was necessary to resolve between us. By December I was head-over-heels in love with this beautiful woman and there was nothing in the world that was capable of hiding that fact. I acquired an engagement ring back in February and then let it burn a hole in my pocket for three months before I proposed. The rest, as you can say, is history.



Of course there are other events have taken place throughout the year that are also worth mentioning.

After receiving a much-deserved promotion and much-needed transfer with Best Buy back in February, I was approached by a former colleague about coming to work for him. In May I decided to leave Best Buy to fill the position of Inventory Control Manager for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. Outside of the commute, I truly enjoy every day that I work at the Food Bank. The people there are wonderful and I can't imagine working anywhere else right now. Everyday, I come home with such a sense of accomplishment, which truly makes me thankful for everything that God has provided, in the past and now.

My cousin and I finally sold our house. Just in the nick of time, I might add. What we made from the sale we split down the middle and that, my dear friends, is what paid for the wedding and honeymoon. I couldn't have imagined spending it on anything more wonderful than that.

Needless to say, it feels as if the world has turned upside down on me (for the good, that is) this year. What a magnificent journey it has been. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

My apologies if I haven't written as much as either you've wanted to read or what I've actually wanted to write in these past twelve months. My plate has been continuously full since the ball dropped in Time Square this past New Year's. It is, however, nice to finally be able to settle down into my new life with my beautiful bride and to start a new chapter in my life.

Anyone who possesses the gift of reason knows that December 25 isn't the exact date of Jesus' birth. It has though, for centuries, been identified as the day we honor and celebrate His birth and a prophecy fulfilled. Please enjoy your time away from the hustle and bustle of your daily life to spend time with family and friends. May your life and family be filled with blessings this year and those yet to come.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

P.S. If you're interested, I've put together a little slideshow on our other site located here.

You've taken your eye off the ball...

Spider-Man 3
Rating: 2 out of 5.

Ever since I started writing movie reviews and posting them for the world to see, I always felt drawn to title my review post with a quote from that picture. This one isn't any different. I did, however, search for a line that seemed appropriate to my personal views towards this film. I feel that this title sums up exactly how I view the third installment in the very profitable Spider-Man franchise.

Before I go any further, I want to point out that there will be spoilers in this review. Now I understand that it's a good chance everyone and their grandmother already saw this movie in the theaters this past summer, but I figured I would at least be considerate to those who have not yet laid theirs eyes upon this CG-laden superhero train wreck.

First off, this film felt as if it was two movies carelessly smashed into one and all of the possible "good" parts were cut out due to time constraints. Peter Parker opens the film with a voice-over narration expressing to us, the audience, that his life as Spider-Man and his relationship with Mary Jane Watson is just going splendidly. We are then introduced to Flint Marko (Thomas Hayden Church), a man who has just escaped from prison. While in hot pursuit, Marko accidentally runs on to some sort of "test site" where he ends up being transformed into the Sandman.

While everything seems just too good to be true in Peter's world, things are actually starting to fall apart all around him. While Peter and Mary Jane casually lounge on a giant spider web holding each other close, a meteor from out of nowhere pops down from the earth's atmosphere and conveniently lands in the same vicinity as our protagonist. As our two love birds are unaware of this astrological phenomenon that has taken place right underneath their noses, a mysterious black ooze makes its way out of the meteor and just in time latches itself onto Peter's scooter before they leave the park.

Peter, overcome with love, goes to his Aunt May's apartment late that very same night and expresses to her that he wants to propose to Mary Jane. After telling a touching story about Uncle Ben and his proposal, Aunt May gives Peter her engagement ring. Then, out of no where, while Peter makes his way back home, he's attacked by Harry Osborne. A very nice choreographed fight sequence in the air ensues. But in the end, Harry gets a nasty bump on the head and ends up with temporary short-term memory loss.

Meanwhile, Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), a newly arrived photographer, has Peter competing for a recently opened permanent position at The Daily Bugle. Eddie's photographs seem to be just as good as Peter's and he's willing to do anything to get that spot over Peter.

Now I could keep going on and on, but honestly, I don't have the will nor the stamina. Besides, this is supposed to be a review, not a scene-by-scene account of what happened in this film. So as you can see, there's a lot going on in this movie. So much so, that the film borderlines on two and a half hours running time with piss-poor pacing issues.

The first mistake this film made is that it decided to follow the road most travelled when it came to poorly executed superhero movies: the more villians the merrier. The more villians you introduce, the less screen time they all have, which leads to under developed characters and big plot holes in the storyline.

I found it awefully convenient that the black ooze

What exactly is a "Family Tree"?

I spend an average of two hours a day in my car commuting to and from work. That totals to at least ten hours a week. If you were to ask my wife, she'd probably guess that this average is low as of late. Ever since returning to work after the honeymoon, I've spent at least 30 minutes longer in my commute home than the previous five months at my new job.

The reason why I bring this up is that I spend a lot of time listening to talk radio. Let me first get this off my chest so you can stop gawking at me: Yes, I am a conservative. (No, this is not a political commentary post... well, not really.)

However, I don't just choose to listen to what the Future Socialists of America in our country call "the extremist right-wing agenda" just to piss them off. I just can't listen to music all the time. I think that some people in my life would beg to differ, since they've seen my CD library (and it is quite massive). I find that it keeps my brain stimulated, so I can stay alert, rather than tuning out to the "angry white guy" crunching guitar riffs and then nodding off only to find myself merging into the next lane and slamming into a tractor-trailer.

Listening to Uncle Phil yesterday, I heard about Lowe's little fiasco of introducing the "family tree" to this year's holiday shopping consumers. I find it repulsive... and they're called Christmas trees!

This is a "family tree."

What kind of country do we live in where 80 percent of the population claims to be a part of some kind of Christian faith, where 95 percent of the same country celebrates Christmas, yet the removal of the word "Christ" from Christmas amongst other things becomes more and more evident every year?

I am so tired of this political correctness that it makes me physically sick. Are we so afraid of hurting someone's feelings that we're willing to jepardize the biggest ecomonic stimulus of the entire year? Ever heard of "Black Friday"? Pay attention now: Americans, on average, go Christmas shopping. They spend their hard-earned money, to help drive their country's economy by purchasing Christmas presents.

If we're not careful, our own government is going to sneak up behind us and start telling us what we can and cannot do in regards to decorating our own personal homes.

Oops! Too late.

The United States of America celebrates Christmas. In most areas of the country, it's considered the least active day of the year for businesses and commerce. (Try finding a store open, or if you do, one that will sell you batteries at a reasonable price on Christmas day when you're parents forgot to include them with the newest and coolest toy.)

In many ways, Christmas is just as much a secular holiday as it is religious. I know several people that celebrate Christmas who want nothing to do with Christ or religion. I'm tired of the minority, armed with a "PC-Friendly megaphone", telling the vast majority what is and isn't right. I'm an adult and reserve the right to have my own opinion. My parents raised me to be sensitive towards others and to treat people with respect. I don't need them or my government to do it.

I celebrate Christmas. I decorate a Christmas tree. I place presents underneath the Christmas tree and open them on December 25th. I give gifts to family and friends during Christmas to express my love and kindness I feel towards them. I listen to and sing songs that celebrate the season as well as the birth of my savior. I roast chestnuts on an open fire (well, not really, but I would if I had the opportunity).

Don't tell me what I can and cannot do when it comes to Christmas. The last time I checked, the U.S. Constitution protected my rights to freedom of religion. And guess what, that's all religions. Not all religions except for Christianity and holidays that might offend thoses that celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Eid ul-Adha, Winter Solstice, Chrismukkah or anything that doesn't involve Jesus Christ. I seriously doubt Christians, as well as those who celebrate Christmas, would riot in the streets if retail businesses started running ads for the "Festival of Lights Price Cut Sale!" or a "Kwanzaa Inventory Blow Out!"

Please leave my Christmas alone.

Thank you and have a wonderful day.

A World Without Writers

I've dabbled a little bit in the whole process of screenwriting back when I was in college and it's difficult. Trying to conjure something out of nothing can garner great frustrations, but it can also be quite rewarding when you've delighted your instructor on a great original idea or being able to properly execute the visual artform. I've come to the conclusion that I support the writer's strike. Even if it means that I'll be up to my ears in reality shows by February sweeps of next year, so be it.

I predict that we're in for the long haul, and even though it may mean that I'll have to wait forever for the series finale of Scrubs, I personally don't care. I've come across some good articles and blogs that express the concern of the writer's strike. Most give merit to their cause, and even though I'm not a huge fan of unions in general, I can completely understand and identify with their frustrations with the AMPTP.

The first is from John August's personal website. John August is a screenwriter who's penned such films as Big Fish, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory and Go. I personally don't care for everything that would be on his resumé, but I appreciate his perspective on the situation given here.

The other article is on the eminent death of television. It's written by Damon Lindelof, the co-creator and head writer for the television series Lost. I don't personally care for Lost, but his comments on where our future is headed in regards to how we, as a general public, will receive our entertainment, is expressed here.

(My sincerest apologies in advance for any link that I post which will eventually be unavailable. Newspaper and magazine websites are notorious for removing archived data and links after a certain period of time. I've saved the article for future reference in PDF format, in case this happens.)

For some highly amusing anecdotes, I highly recommend you check out:

LateShowWritersOnStrike.com

I recommend the story involving the "Hulk Woman."


Lastly, I post a video entitled "A World Without Writer." I'd comment more, but it speaks for itself and the importance of their creativity and input in the entertainment juggernaut that is Hollywood.

Fantasy Moguls!

I've started this new online game where you pick up to eight films for your virtual studio and see how they perform at the box office. Of course, you're only give a set budget of $100 to spend for your films, so you have to be aware that bigger budgeted films will cost more. Smaller independent films will cost less and could end up being a marathon runner at the box office.

It's a huge risk, I know... but I'm willing to sacrifice the virtual $100. You can visit the website here, if you have more inquiries than I'm unable to answer. The first of the four films that my studio is promoting will be American Gangster. Please take the time to admire the shameless promoting below:

Boost my Fantasy Moguls score!


Go see American Gangster!


Opens Fri Nov 2

It's very difficult to pass up the combination for director Ridley Scott with the possible knockout acting combo of Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

The other three films are as follows:

No Country for Old Men (11/9 Release date)
I would find it a complete contradiction of my true film geek nature not to back the Coen Brothers (Joel & Ethan) and quite possibly their next masterpiece of cinematic goodness.

I Am Legend (12/14 Release Date)
Even Will Smith's track record is almost completely idiot proof.

There Will Be Blood (12/26 Release Date)
Paul Thomas Anderson might be a bit of a long shot since he hasn't had a decent reception of his films since Magnolia. However, I still see him as a modern Robert Altman and his track record with critics is usually on par with many top ten lists by the end of the year. Besides, Daniel Day-Lewis only comes out from hiding to do a film once every 3-5 years, and he chose this script to grace us with his presence.

I hope none of you have a stomach ache from eating too much junk food last night. If you do, I hope a bottle of Pepto-Bismol is within your reach.

Until next time, dear readers.

It was a horseman, a dead one. Headless.

Just so everyone is aware (and when I say "everyone" I mean all three of you), I'm still in the process of writing two completely separate posts. Both in relation to the wedding and honeymoon, but neither have been completed as of yet.

It has been extremely difficult putting time into either of them. Work has been rather busy since I've returned so all I feel that I'm doing is playing catch up a majority of time. By the time I get home, dependant on the volume of traffic I have to fight through, all I want to do is crash on the couch. My wife, bless her heart, has prepared supper almost every single evening since we've been back to our normal routine. When I do write, all I end up doing is finishing a couple of pages of mostly boring narrative.

It does, however, feel fantastic to write something and to feel a sense of accomplishment. Eventually I will have a breakthrough. Until then, you'll have to deal with whatever I end up posting in the meantime.

Last night Lisa and I carved some Jack O' Lanterns. I can't remember the last time I gutted and carved up a pumpkin. Probaby close to twenty years. What's worse is when I try to think back to the last time I did this, it just makes me feel old. Twenty years? Twenty years!

Anyways, last weekend we decided to purchase a couple of pumpkins, but buying them at the grocery store or a discount outlet was out of the question. I felt it necessary to give our business to a local farmer or pumpkin patch proprietor rather than a retail chain. We ended up spending a good part of our Saturday afternoon trying to locate one, but when we did, we were very satisfied with what we found.



Some local farmers provided us with exactly what we were looking for. We soon had in our possession four nicely sized pumpkins and eight ghords (for a fall-themed dining room cener piece) all for under twenty bucks.

Last night we decided to carve up our victims and display them on the our front steps for all to see. Because of the lighting and the absense of a tripod, I couldn't get a decent picture of them, so we ended up displaying them on our table in the back yard for the best photographic representation.



When Lisa could't find anything to watch that night, I decided to introduce to her Evil Dead II. I assume what she witnessed before eventualy falling asleep was entertaining, even in an extremely cheesy way. Bruce Campbell is brilliant and any filmmaker or film connoisseur can truly appreciate the technical achievements of this horror classic.

As I write this last sentance, it feels as if the needle displayed on my creativity fuel tank has landed squarely on the "E". I hope you all have had a safe and entertaining Halloween.

Until next time, dear readers.

Memorable Weddings in Film

"Excuse me! I'm trying to conduct a wedding here which has nothing to do with love, so please be quiet!"



Over the course of the past seven months, many things have changed in my life. In fact, things are still changing, and the biggest one of them all will take place two weeks from this Saturday. Finally taking the time to sit down and write about it is very difficult. So difficult in fact, that I almost don't want to. It's not the fact that I don't want to share the fantastic news to everyone that I come in contact with, it's the fact that I'd rather be spending this time with the woman of my dreams who is bundled up on the couch right now watching "Grey's Anatomy". However, there, in that room, lies the struggle.

I personally don't care for that show. I try to avoid medical dramas, especially ones that wreak of the "prime time soap opera" kind. I haven't been a faithful follower of any medical drama since “ER” pushed its way up to the top of the Nielsen ratings back in the fall of 1994. That show became the first “must see” television show of my early adulthood. I had recently graduated from high school, was in my first semester of community college, and this show barged onto the scene with an intensity that I had never really experienced before on television. My homework soon became non-existant every Thursday night for next few years (or at least until I dropped out).

I distinctively remember the promotions all summer long for that show: “From Executive Producer Michael Crichton.” All I knew was that Michael Crichton was a big name to be flaunting around at that time. With the cinematic juggernaut that was Jurassic Park, it was only the smartest thing for NBC to become intimate bedmates not only with Crichton, but with Steven Spielberg's production company Amblin Entertainment. Both were very hot commodities back then. In fact, one of them still is. The jury is still out on Crichton.

“ER” is now entering it's fourteenth season and I consistently watched the first ten. I never missed an episode and this was back before the convenience of Tivo. I was restricted with either 8 or 10 programmable slots on my VCR, and you can bet your sweet ass that it was recording between the time slots of 9:00 and 10:00 pm every Thursday without question.

I am sad to report that I've completely lost my interest in watching “ER.” Once they killed off Dr. Greene, I pretty much turned in my membership card. I tried to tune in for another season or two, but it just wasn't the same. You know you're show's been on too long when the entire leading cast has been rotated out. I just can't take Shane West or John Stamos seriously, comparing them to Anthony Edwards or George Clooney.

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Now that I've gone off track as to what I was planning on writing about, I will abruptly, yet firmly, grab the emergency brake of this less than exciting blog and flip this bitch 180 degrees.

What was it that I was talking about...? Oh yes, I was starting to hear wedding bells off into the distance. If I strain hard enough to hear them, I'm sure that I can also make out the faint shouting of overwhelming frustration from my bride-to-be. But that's alright, because I'd probably be doing the same thing if I were trying to plan a wedding and reception for 150 friends and family. We are also both in serious need of a vacation (especially her). Thank God that it comes almost immediately after the wedding.

I'll have to be somewhat honest with you, dear readers. I confess that I'm not overly anxious about the wedding. Please don't misunderstand me. I can't wait to be married. I can't wait for the festivities to commence as well as celebrate with all of my family and friends in one place. I can't wait to start the next chapter in my life. It is well overdue and I'm glad that I'll be able to spend the rest of my days with the most wonderful woman in the world.

What I'm not looking forward to is being at the center of attention. Now I'm sure you'll argue with me that it's not me who's the center of attention that day, but my bride. I beg to differ. Trust me, I'm not trying to climb to the top of the "center-of-attention-podium" with this argument. I'm just simply trying to state the fact that we're both going to be the focal point. I'm sure if you ask her, she'd tell you exactly the same thing.

When the final moment(s) come, all I pray for is that we're able to hold back enough tears that we don't look like two blubbering idiots up at the front of the church. The second is that I hope we'll be able to get out the words to follow along with the reverend who's performing the ceremony. If we can get past those two obstacles, I think everything else will fall into place quite nicely. Knowing you've made the right decision to commit your life and the remainder of your existance is one thing, having to express that in front of 150+ people, is in a category all on its own.

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Getting that off my chest makes me feel a little better... which brings me to the reason why I started to write this damn post in the first place.

Knowing that I hadn't made a legitimate post for over half a year, and with my wedding day quickly approaching, I thought about creating a "Top 5 wedding movies" list. To be completely honest, Lisa brought the idea up to me over a month ago, but I felt that I couldn't commit to five movies that were just about weddings that I really enjoyed (it's also a very small sub-genre). So I stewed on it for a while and came up with the most memorable wedding moments in film. At least according to me and what I've seen.

SPACEBALLS (1987)
Who doesn't recall the reverand yelling out to the newly titled Prince Lonestar and Princess Vespa, "The short short version!" Any Mel Brooks fan, even the casual one, can appreciate the humor set forth in the following scene:




THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)
Being surrounded by movies all my life, the words "Dearly Beloved" automatically spark the thoughts of a traditional wedding. So much so, that it's too stereotypical. So stereotypical that both Lisa and I specifically requested that it not be said at our ceremony. However, recalling the wedding scene in Rob Reiner's The Princess Bride was what was really going through my mind when someone says "Dearly Beloved." Yeah, yeah, I know the priest doesn't say "Dearly Beloved", but you get the idea.




FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (1994)
Rowan Atkinson is a comic genius in this scene, practically stumbling over every line, forcing the bride and groom to correct every nervous mistake that he utters. Most of the scene is quite subtle, so you must pay close attention or you won't catch the humor.




THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
The Deer Hunter is a brilliant film, and the first third consists of a wedding, reception and a final hunting trip before the three protagonists voluntarily ship off to Vietnam. The wedding reception is even more memorable because it serves all of the characters in two ways: (1) the obvious wedding celebration and (2) a farewell party for the three men who are going overseas to serve their country. The Deer Hunter offers a small slice of European-immigrant, blue-collar americana that is difficult to find represented in a more genuine and honest way.



THE GRADUATE (1967)
The wedding that never happens. That's what I think about when I bring up The Graduate. Mike Nichols made cinematic history with his film adaptation of Charles Webbs' novel. The film is established as a classic and sits on many lists that boast the greatest films ever made. However, as many iconic and classic scenes that exist in this masterpiece, the one I bring up is Benjamin's climactic rescue of Elaine at her wedding. He bangs on the glass high above the church sanctuary shouting "Elaine! Elaine! Elaine! Elaine!" Madness ensues within everyone except for the bride, who realizes she needs to be rescued. The great irony of the film comes right at the end. As they sit on the back of the bus, they look at each other and you get the sense that what they just did really didn't change anything. The possibility of turning into their parents is probably right around the corner.



GOODFELLAS (1990)
The Goodfellas wedding scene is a fantastic representation of how overwhelming marrying into the mafia can be. Scorsese skillfully directs this scene where Karen (Lorraine Bracco) is introduced to her now "extended family" throughout the entire reception hall. Karen's head is spinning, but Henry reassures her that everything is fine. It amazes me how completely oblivious she is to what line of work her now husband actually does. Being in construction never paid so well.




THE GODFATHER (1972)
I tend to leave the best for last, and The Godfather is no exception. The first thirty minutes of this cinematic masterpiece takes place during Don Corleone's daughter's wedding reception. Silcilian tradition states that a father cannot refuse a request on his daughter's wedding day. So, while everyone else enjoys the festivities, the Godfather, along with close friends and family, must conduct their family business. Like I stated earlier along the same lines of The Graduate, The Godfather is widely received as one of the greatest films ever made. There are dozens of iconic moments that fill this three hour gangster saga, but the one I provide for you is a conversation that takes place between the Godfather's youngest son, Michael and his fiancée, Kate. Michael (portrayed by a very young Al Pacino) explains his family's business in a story involving the now big Hollywood star, Johnny Fontane, also featured in the clip.




I'm fairly certain, than unless I'm truly inspired to make an additional post within the next two weeks, I should hopefully have some great stories and possibly some decent pictures by time you hear from me again.

Unti next time, dear readers.