How far would you go to not sin? Would you receive brutal beatdowns? Would you be willing to be mocked mercilessly? Would you like to be a shell of your former self?
Before you answer that, let me share with you the story that brought out some of these questions. Old Man Logan was written by Mark Millar (Wanted) as a big "What If..." series about not only Wolverine but other superheroes and villains in 50 years' time. What if the super villains finally broke Wolverine into submission? In fact, he's now so broken that he refuses to ever use his claws since the day that all of the super villains took over and essentially either killed all the superheroes or scattered them into hiding. It doesn't sound too exciting does it? A bloodthirsty superhero who is tough and has a tremendous story, and now reduced to a hardworking farmer who is broke and is in need of a financial break. Red Skull is the president of the United States, Dr. Doom is ruler over some of the territories of this new U.S. as are the Hulks and Magneto (before being killed by Kingpin). It is an evil time and it calls for desperate measures.
Enter Hawkeye, an Avenger, who is transporting something very important (Logan a/k/a Wolverine believes it to be drugs) and he promises Logan money that will take care of the monthly payments that he owes the Hulks (yes, the Incredible Hulk has offspring in this bleak future) for his farm. Logan and Hawkeye have quite an adventure as they avoid being killed by Hawkeye's own daughter (Peter Parker's granddaughter), the Moloids and a huge T-Rex dinosaur that has been infused with the Venom symbiote. Does this sound foreign to you? If you don't read comics, it should. The main thing here is that no matter what happens, Logan will not resort to becoming Wolverine again. He refuses to fight at first and when he does fight, he still does not unleash his claws in decimating his opponents. It is only until something very bad happens that Logan unleashes his inner Wolverine and decides to unleash vengeance, fury and sadistic violence upon the Hulks.
This draws up the questions again - how far would you go not to sin? It sounds simple. You could say that you would do whatever it takes but many of us do bad stuff within the first hour that we're awake. Logan is a natural born killer. He was born for this and made for a life where you kill or bad things happen. He's not only bloodthirsty but he's naturally so. Just how bad do we need to be punished (like Wolverine was) before we make a vow never to do something that comes so naturally to us again? I'm reminded that when we ask Jesus to rule our lives, we are called "new creations". I don't want to face what this character in this comic book faced but how bad do things have to get before we decide that we'll never do that bad thing again? Thankfully, there is grace, hope and love (sounds like a Bible verse don't it?). "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8). That's pretty cool. May the "Logan" win over the "Wolverine" when it comes to sin.
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Greg
Alright, last fall I started to talk about Pomplamoose and people were like, "Yeah, I'll definitely check it out."... yeah right.
You need to check out this band. If anything good can come of music videos via You Tube, this is it. If Rebecca Black left a bad taste in your mouth for viral videos then please, allow me to show you the cure (no, not Robert Smith's Cure).
Pomplamoose is made up of two members, Jack Conte and Natalie Dawn. They are multi-instrumentalists and good ones at that. Natalie's voice is great and her abilities at harmonizing are incredible. Jack's drum work as well as finding odd, old and interesting items to play tunes are very admirable and his enthusiasm is contagious. They formed in 2008 and by 2009, they had already sold 100,000 songs online (how many bands have been around for years struggling to get half that?). They have over 240,000 subscribers to their You Tube channel as of the beginning of this year and their covers of songs have been featured in Toyata and Hyundai ads.
Jack has stated there are two rules with their video songs and they are:
- What you see is what you hear. (No lip-syncing for instruments or voice)
- If you hear it, at some point you see it. (No hidden sounds)
Pretty cool. Some of my fav covers they do are Mister Sandman (The Chordettes), Single Ladies (Beyonce), and Beat It (Michael Jackson).
I believe they are now on an East Coast tour with fellow You Tube video posters, OK Go (another creative band). Check 'em out here: http://www.youtube.com/user/PomplamooseMusic
You can thank me later for this great band that know how to leverage the culture to garner quite a following.
Pop...
Greg
A friend on Facebook (thanks Mark Hardwick!) posted a "How It Should Have Ended" clip of Iron Men and I realized, 'Why haven't I ever heard of this website?' It's awesome and pretty funny. It takes a look at movies that are ingrained in pop culture lore and turns it on it's comedic ear. The animation is simple yet very well done and the comedy for the most part is clean and very clever.
Interested?
Check out: www.howitshouldhaveended.com/videos
I know pretty much how every movie over the last few years have ended. How? Is it because I watch a lot of movies? Not really, I go to themoviespoiler.com or moviepooper.com so I can find out the ending but also what the film entails. If you like to keep things a secret and don't want to read spoilers, no problem but if you're like me and want to see if the film is worth seeing, check it out. Please know that the endings and major secrets to the films will be revealed so don't be surprised. You've been warned.
If you're ever wondering why you've never heard of a film until it's opening weekend, it's because you haven't been checking up on the trailers of upcoming films. Where can you go? Lots of places! I usually check Yahoo! movies but there's lots - just Google movie trailers.
Anways, I'll try to update this blog more with better stuff in a couple of days...
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Greg
A couple of days ago, I tried to answer the top five books that I've ever read. I had to think because I read quite a bit (maybe a book a week tops) but I never categorized books like I do films, music, etc. So, after careful thought, here it is:
5. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
A childhood favorite. How many horrible things can one boy endure? There is hope and there are good people that exist in the world but poor Oliver is surrounded by people who generally don't fall into this category. I love Dickens, even though I find his descriptions too much as I want to paint my own pictures of what scenarios look like.
4. Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling
I read this and didn't stop until I was done. An excellent way to write a career was by doing audio diaries for many years in order to be as accurate as possible and that's what he did. At times a dark look into the behind-the-scenes look at wrestling (i.e. drug addictions, firing of talent, infidelities) but also a well written account of how one man overcame the shadow of his father and his crazy family. There's a lot of language in the book and I could do without Bret talking about his many sexual conquests on the road. As a wrestler, few can compare to the stories he told in the ring with other greats and not-so greats but as a person, I read about a man who emerged out of the wrestling world, scarred, battered and sinful but still alive. Aren't we all that?
3. The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
I'm more of a Marvel Comics guys as compared to DC Comics. DC comics has mutiverses and some pretty goofy superheroes (not that Marvel doesn't have it's share) but often the storytelling can be better than many Marvel stories. This is the one that puts it in the top five. Who is the Holiday Killer? A well written mystery focused on three men: Batman, Commissioner Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent. Dent, if you saw the 2008 film The Dark Knight, eventually becomes Two Face, a villain who decides the fate of people by the flip of a coin. Most of the characters who are killed would be described as deserving their fate as they are members of a crime family but what is real justice? Is it vigilante style or is it seeing law and order being upheld. There is a serial killer out there who is killing members of the Falcone family as well as other important people who would help fit the puzzle. The ending is a surprise and I when I put it down, I realized how well-played the book had been in pointing out the obvious.
2. Heavier Than Heaven by Charles Cross
The definitive book for any Nirvana/Kurt Cobain fan. It's exhaustive and thorough in its research. It chronicles his early childhood, his teen years, his pre and post-fame days and the tragic final weeks of his life. It also guesses as accurately as one can about his final day on earth. I have found a lot of illustrations in this book about a myriad of subjects that I could preach on. The importance of loving children is never made more abundantly clear than the life of a man who never got enough. An enjoyable and sad read.
What's number 1 you may ask? If you're one of the singles and singles people reading this blog, I don't have a number one book. I could say something like the Bible but it wouldn't be true. The Bible is convicting and provides so much sage advice but it can be a tedious read. I could say, A Wrinkle in Time but I haven't read it enough times to warrant a number one. Super Fudge was a childhood favorite. The Church on the Other Side is a must read for anyone tired of same-old/same-old religion/denominational attempts at trying to insulate Christians in a sub-par cultural bubble. There's tonnes of good books/graphic novels out there. Fiction, non-fiction, religious, etc., etc. What's on YOUR top five? I've fixed the comment section for this blog (I think) so let me know what books you like!
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Greg
Alright, alright...I know. For those that knew me in the '90's, you know that I was a huge fan of Counting Crows. I've been to a couple of their shows, gotten their autographs, bought their albums, T-shirts, stole some posters (actually, Kerry did) and even bought a bunch of bootlegs off ebay.
Whenever I ask anyone if they're a fan of CC, they say, "I think I have their first album." If anybody that I know has bought an album or has an album by them, it is usually August and Everything After. Seriously, there's a reason why this album sold approximately 8 million copies in the US alone (almost unheard of today thanks to digital downloading). They have four other studio albums - Recovering the Satellites, This Desert Life, Hard Candy and Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings). While sales have slipped with each album debut, they still debut their albums in the top 10 selling at least one hundred thousand copies alone in the first week. They have built a "Dead-head" like following.
Their albums have been produced by a who's who of the music world. T-Bone Burnett (numerous country and rock acts such as Wallflowers) and Gil Norton (Foo Fighters) have been producers. Adam Duritz has collaborated with several respected artists including Ryan Adams, Sheryl Crow, Jakob Dylan, Nanci Griffith, Dashboard Confessional and Live.
Adam Duritz is famous for two things: 1. Writing morose and tortured songs and 2. Dating lots of famous women (Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Emmy Rossum and a few others). I can't comment on all the stars he's been with but he does suffer from a "dissociative disorder" which makes the world seem like it's not real. Many artists that have the right brain tendency (artistic side) tend to struggle with depression or mental illness which makes them brilliant artistically but also have problems as a result of being bi-polar, etc.
Thinking of checking them out? Start with August and Everything After and the skip to Hard Candy. The rest of the albums are excellent but these two stand out especially. They don't cuss like sailors but they do swear occasionally but not liberally. Often times swearing is used to punctuate a point rather than being crass because they can. Duritz's illness can be detected throughout the music which is a fascinating listen to hear of how he hurts others and how others close him up.
They have also released two live albums (Across a Wire and another one that I can't remember).
Pop...
Greg
Yes, you heard me. Finding God and themes of redemption and forgiveness in Venom, one of Spiderman's greatest foes.
Before I do that, for those of you who don't know Venom and his importance to Marvel Comics, let me give you a brief history of Venom...
You may remember Topher Grace (That 70's Show, Traffic) playing Venom in Spiderman 3. Before Venom became, well, Venom - he was Eddie Brock. Eddie Brock was raised in a Roman Catholic household in San Francisco. His mother died due to complications of his birth and so, Eddie was raised by his devastated father. As is the case with a distant father, Eddie grows up trying desperately to win his father's love and approval by overachieving. He was an athlete but decided to switch majors in college to journalism after being inspired by the Watergate scandal. Keep in mind, this backstory is a fictional one... for a comic book character. Eventually, Eddie lands a job with the Daily Globe and marries Anne Weying.
Once Eddie buries himself in his work, things really start to go wrong. He becomes convinced that he has heard the confessions of a serial-killer named, Sin Eater and writes an exclusive article revealing this fact for the Globe. Unfortunately, it turns out that the man who confessed to these murders is a compulsive confessor and Spiderman captures the real Sin Eater. Eddie's professional life is destroyed and he is promptly fired from the Globe and is forced to work for sleazy tabloid magazines. Brock blames Spiderman for all of this.
To make matters worse, Brock has cancer and it will be killing him. Eddie decides to get back into athletics and weightlifting to reduce stress and his body grows to Olympic size as he packs on tons of muscle. Anger and depression remain though and he and his wife, Anne, divorce.
Suicidal, Brock heads to a nearby church to pray for forgiveness and this is where the alien symbiote that Spiderman has discarded finds Eddie and bonds with him. It feeds off his cancer and his hatred and fear and now Eddie possesses similar powers to Spiderman. Like everything in Eddie Brock's life, he plays second fiddle to Peter Parker's Spiderman as the symbiote sees Brock as a second rate host and really wants to attach itself to Spiderman. Brock names himself, Venom because he sees himself as poison to Peter Parker/Spiderman.
As violent and malicious as Venom is, he still can't bring himself to kill innocent people (not always) and over the years, Spiderman actually asks Venom for help. Venom has become the anti-hero and fanboys love him.
Spiritually, this figure is an amazing representative of us. We sin. We mess up. We make poor choices and sometimes, we revel in those choices. Forgiveness and forgiving others is a big part of following Christ and the character Venom seems to seek forgiveness quite often. He looks to be absolved of some of the heinous deeds that he has done and even his lawyer, Matt Murdoch (Daredevil) believes that he is an innocent who is not responsible for his actions as a result of the symbiote's attachment. Still, despite all of this, Eddie Brock struggles and often wonders if God can forgive him for the "devil inside". It is pretty compelling stuff. I believe Venom is the visible and ugly junk that manifests itself in all of us when we decide to follow our own way instead of God's. Just a thought. See? I told you all truth is God's truth.
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Greg
I just saw the film, "Conviction" on DVD and I must say it delivers exactly what it promises. It is about a brother and sister (played by Sam Rockwell and Hillary Swank) and the bond that holds them together forever. The brother has been convicted of murder and is wrongfully convicted at that. His sister who has not finished high school is so committed to seeking justice for her brother that she journeys to become a lawyer to right the wrong that has cast a dark cloud upon the family.
It wasn't a bad film - I would compare it to "The Hurricane" starring Denzel Washington (1999). What makes the film extraordinary is the story because I could imagine myself giving up numerous times. This journey that Hillary Swank goes on costs her her marriage, custody of her sons (or at least, they prefer to live with their dad in their teen years because of her obsession with her brother's case) and other important milestones that pass her by.
The questions that I felt impressed upon me were:
1. Would I do the same for my loved ones? Would I sacrifice years and years to see justice done or would I simply make peace with it and move on?
2. Was it worth it?
3. Could I unsettle my family for one family member?
In the end, it could have been worth it (I wont' give away everything but it's fairly satisfying). Some good questions come out of this that are worth asking. I am reminded of Jesus' parable of the lost sheep where he leaves the ninety-nine in search of the one that is lost. Certainly, Hillary Swank is no Jesus but I thought the comparison was apt.
The film's rated 14A - mainly because the f-word is used a lot. It seemed at times that the people portrayed on film had Tourette's Syndrome as they use swearing almost as an art form in the way they say it so much in most sentences. There are a couple of graphic shots of the murder victim but no graphic violence. Take this warning seriously if language is offensive to you. Overall, I would give this film 2.5 Pop cans out of 5 (meaning good).
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Greg
