A Fresh Start
There’s something really great about starting new. It’s at the core of what it means to be a Christian. The whole reason we seek forgiveness is so that we can start clean. And the great thing about God is that his mercy is new everyday!
September is here, and with it comes another new season in my life. I’m excited for what lies ahead, so I thought I would give a little update on my life.
Recently…
- I started a new job as the Video Coordinator for Big Valley Grace Community Church.
- I’ve been working on getting myself out of debt.
- I’ve been going to the gym. (off and on…)
- I’ve reorganized my room and tried to simplify things a bit.
- I haven’t done much blogging, but I plan to get back in rhythm.
- I’ve been working on a screenplay! This is a new adventure for me, and I’m loving it.
Coming Soon…
- Thursday I start school back up. I’ll be taking Psychology, Effective Computing, and my Music classes. It’s always great to meet new people in the fall semester.
- In a few weeks I’ll be going on the Young Adult Fall Retreat! I’ll be teaching a session on world religions while I’m there, so I have a lot of studying to do.
- My friends and I are going away to a cabin for a few days to write a novel. This is going to be a blast!
- Starting this Friday you will be able to listen online to me and my friends as we walk through the book of 1 Corinthians on the Devocast. Check it out in iTunes.
All in all there are a lot of things coming, and I’m looking foreward to all of it. Be in prayer that I’m able to balance my time as I develop a new rhythm, and that I would keep God at the center of everything that I do.
It Happened
Because of its very mixed reviews, I thought I would join in by adding my thoughts on M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film, The Happening. And don’t worry… no spoilers here. I’ll start off right away by saying that I give the movie three stars out of five, which for me constitutes a fairly good average movie. I saw an interview with Shyamalan before seeing the movie, which I think helped shape my perception. The film was based more on situation than plot first of all which of course gets a lot of people really upset from the get-go. Mark Wahlberg plays a rather unassuming lead character that doesn’t fit the ideal of a typical cinema hero. Shyamalan tried to approach the film as a more down to earth approach than his typical heightened realities. The dialogue is simple and sometimes downright stupid, but exactly how real people sound in real life. Now admittedly, there were moments where Mark didn’t do the best he could have, but that’s life. I think that Shyamalan is living proof that good movies can be made which defy the standards of Hollywood. He set with a goal and I think he achieved it.
If you don’t already know this, a lot of people die in this film. In fact, it is largely based on the fact that tons of people are dying. Right from the beginning Night immerses the viewer in his “R-rated” world of violence and death. He was definitely successful in getting me to the edge of my seat. There were a few moments of tension that brought back memories of I Am Legend in the theater. There were definitely three or four death scenes that were truly gross and disgusting (that’s why it’s rated R… obviously) but none of them were anywhere as gross as some that I’ve seen in other movies. A few of the deaths he took a more “Hitchcockian” approach to and cut away from the gore rather than showing it. What I appreciated from him was the fact the R rating was only for the violence. He didn’t use it as an opportunity to throw a bunch of other things in as well. As he said in an interview, ‘my parents have to see this…’
More than anything, I appreciate the artistic qualities of Shyamalan’s movies. Every movie he makes has a tone which is consistent throughout and he uses the camera in unique and unconventional ways. Each film has so many iconic shots that for me make the movie a sort of art gallery. There are these moments in all of his films where I feel like I’m suspended in time for a moment looking at a painting which he has crafted through the staging, lighting and physical elements of the frame. This movie is no exception. There were some moments that were truly horrific and at the same time beautiful in the way that he crafted them. My favorite shot (for those who have seen the movie) was the one with the ladders. The last shot of the movie was also very haunting and fantastic.
Over all I would have to say that this movie is different from Shyamalan’s other films, in that it’s not an epic story with amazing dialogue and crazy twists, but it is still en example of his unique style and personality. I can see that most movie goers looking for the typical summer blockbuster will not like this movie, but for me it was worth it.