10 Favorite Folks in the Motion Picture Industry

This is an odd segment for me, a person who regularly mocks and pesters my wife when she watches E! and reads People Magazine.  Even though I’m not into all the fashion and gossip news that keeps our TMZ culture afloat, there are people in Hollywood that I very much enjoy being entertained by.  So here goes my list as we delve into another segment of “10’s”.

1.  George Clooney - My likeness (you may even call it a man-crush) for this guy is beyond any other.  I love almost all his movies.  He always seems to pick interesting roles in well-produced movies (no one does this better).  His greatness goes beyond the bigscreen as he just seems like a great person to be around.  As the ultimate host in Hollywood, he’s the epitome of a guy’s guy that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to bring around.  On top of all that, no one else seems to be having more fun.  Favorite movie: Out of Sight

2.  Matt Damon – From the moment I first watched Good Will Hunting (still a fascinating movie over a decade later), I hope this guy would become who he is today – who’s that?  He, much like Clooney, does a great job at picking movies that are well-written, interesting, and most importantly avoid wussification…so many actors started off great and then lost their edge in exchange for winning the hearts of young girls (see Matthew McConaughey, Tom Cruise, etc.).  Favorite movie: Rounders

3.  Brad Pitt- His name doesn’t make me want to see a movie (like the guys above), but he has played so many diverse roles it’s difficult not to recognize the man’s skill.  Beyond that, the man is so good looking even the most stubborn of men couldn’t disagree.  His choice in roles has improved greatly in the last 10 years and it has lended me the ability to slowly dismantle every arguement that ever existed against him.  Favorite movie: Fight Club.

4.  Edward Norton – Speaking of Fight Club, this guy is just an incredible actor.  Most of his roles feature characters of incredble depth and intense conflict.  Although he lacks exceptional good looks, it is rare that that I find myself not engrossed in the storylines of his roles.  Favorite movie: American History X

5.  Tina Fey – Her greatest strength is her writing.  Mean Girls is hilarious and I find myself watching it every time I come across it on TV.  Her intelligence and wit combined with her underplayed attractiveness make her not only entertaining, but also help you take her seriously…it’s always about the writing with her.  Her comedy writing skills have landed her on top of all the other women Hollywood has to offer.  Favorite movie (show): 30 Rock

6.  Jack NIcholson – Perhaps the greatest actor and without question the premiere womanizer of Tinseltown of our generation.  I’ll admit he has mailed in way too many of his roles over the past 10 years, but he’s still intriguingly entertaining just being Jack.  His name commands you to pay attention to the movie.  Favorite movie: A Few Good Men

7.  Will Smith- Watching this guy just makes me feel good about life.  He’s funny, good looking, and seems like he would make a fine family friend.  Even in his most wussifying role, Hitch, he’s terrific…my wife and I love the movie!  Besides being funny and possessing the ability to (kinda) rap, he is incredible at playing roles to perfection.  Favorite movie: The Pursuit of Happyness

8.  Leonardo DiCaprio- He started out soft as a teen bop cover boy proclaiming he was “king of the world”.  After so many great performances in movies worthy of male viewership, how could you exclude him from any top 10 list of this nature.  He has gone from being the punch line in the locker room to the guy living the bachelor’s dream (he must be hoping to top Clooney one day).  Favorite movie: The Departed

9.  Morgan Freeman – He just picks great roles and is the prototypical wise old sage on the silverscreen.  There’s not much to say other than I love his acting. Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption

10.  Owen Wilson – Of the newbies to the “Hollywood Elite” (Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, etc.), Owen is the only one that I can take seriously…the others guys are too concerned with being the “(fill in the blank)” guy.  Maybe he will turn out to be the biggest train wreck of all these guys, but as of now he can be humorous, but not to the point where it marks his identity.  Favorite movie: Wedding Crashers

 

Mad Men

Towards the end of last fall, I began to hear some noise about a new series on AMC of all places.  I was unaware they played anything other than movies on American MOVIE Classics.  It wasn’t long before the writers’ strike began and we were left with nothing to watch in our nightly tube time.  As the 2nd (and hopefully not final) season of Friday Night Lights was finishing up, I noticed that AMC was rerunning the first season of Mad Men.  I promptly set my DVR (a wonderful invention) and hoped I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Well, after watching the first season…I wasn’t.

It started out slow, but builds its characters nicely as we learn of their deeper complexities as the season moves forward.  The slow and sometimes boring plot lines are overcome by the immense effort the writers have put into character development. Nearly all the characters are uncovered by the camera lens for who they really are – good, bad, and ugly.  In same way that the series is premised on the attaining of the “American Dream” in 1960 while showing the dark spots (alcoholism, broken marriages, long commutes, and mindless sexual escapades, etc.)

The most interesting characters of the show are Donald Draper (creative director and eventual junior partner) and Peggy Olsen (Draper’s secretary and eventual copywriter).  Both are driven for success and ascending the corporate ladder, but their differences end there.  Draper is married with 2 children, but spends little time with his family and is troubled by his own mysterious and shameful past that he keeps from everyone.  Peggy is the “new girl”, but also possesses considerable talent and wants to have a career as opposed to finding a husband like many of the other secretaries in the office.

This is a fascinating timepiece show of the quickly evolving time of 1960 Madison Avenue, New York (especially for those who didn’t live during that time).  The acting is pretty well done for a television series, but the writing is superb!  Matthew Weiner, who also wrote for The Sopranos for 7 years, has created a masterful series that entertains, but also causes the viewer to discern the value of the luxuries afforded by career success against the sacrifice of relationships and an emotionally healthy family life.  Do yourself a favor and commit the first 5 episodes.  After that it’s up to you to decide where to block out the time to watch the rest of the first season of Mad Men.

Good Riddance Writer’s Strike

It’s been over 2 months since the writer’s strike ceased, but it really hasn’t felt any different in my life until the last 8 days beginning with the season premiere of 30 Rock and The Office. 

30 Rock came back in fantastic form with the quick-witted humor that has made it one of the best comedies on TV.  After last week’s debacle with MILF Island, I was rolling on the floor with Jack convincing Tracy to become the celebrity spokesperson for the GOP.  His final commercial encouraging black voter to not vote is hilarious.  “…in the time you saved not voting, you could play 3 games of pool, 3 GAMES!!!”  Of all the comedies on the tube, I don’t think any have a more creative group of writers that take such consistent risks.

The Office started off last week with the greatest train wreck of a dinner party in television history.  You know they must have been thinking about that plot for months.  The highlight was Michael yelling “that’s a $200 dollar HDTV” after Jan threw a Dundee threw the screen.  This week’s highlight was Michael and Dwight visiting the random grave singing “American Pie” into the night.

“Yeah” for the writers!

Unforgettable Youth Ministry Moments

I left the office early yesterday afternoon after our weekly staff meeting to head home for some rest as I had woken up at 1:37am the previous night with an unquenchable sore throat and felt exhausted when David Crowder’s “Remedy” (the song set to my alarm on my phone) started playing at 7:00am.  After 6 hours in the office lacking productivity, I realized I could accomplish even more if I was at home in the recliner passing out intermittently during the early Sportscenter (du-nuh-nuh, du-nuh-nuh).  Following my inclinations I found myself in my living room drowsy and hopped up on Clariton and nasal spray.

During one of my intermittent dozes as noted previously, my phone started vibrating and singing Linkin Park’s “Shadow of the Day” (BTW, my affinity for this song makes me feel like the prime target of those cheesy mix stations playing the best of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s that I loathed in my earlier years).  It was 4:33pm and one of my youth leaders asked how I was feeling.  I told her I’d experienced better shades of livelihood and asked the question “What’s up?”.  She preceded to share with me that one of our students had been in a car accident that look quite terrible after school.  I thanked her for thinking of me, kissed my wife, and headed to the hospital.

The drive was only about 5 minutes and filled more intensely with prayer than erstwhile logged.  Terrifying thoughts ran through my mind as I thought of the possibilities of how this accident had impacted this student.  Were they seriously injured?  Shaken up?  Bruised?  Or God forbid dead?  It was too much to bear as this student is one that I’m very close with and spent countless hours listening, talking, praying, encouraging, mentoring, and all the other things youth ministers do.  God has worked so miraculously in this student’s life so far, it wouldn’t make sense for anything so detrimental to find its way into their life.

I arrived in the waiting room of the emergency room to a group of 6 other students and parents where the mood was quite somber.  After exchanging hugs and handshakes, I asked the obvious question which was most difficult to say.  I asked in a soft murmured voice to one of my guys, “How is she?”  He responded “They are both okay and in good condition.”  I was shocked to learn that there were 2 other people in the car, one a friend, one her younger sister.  I was so thankful and grateful for their safety and couldn’t wait to see them.

After a few minutes, I went back to see the girls.  I saw the sister first and it was great to see a smile on their face.  After the first exchanges of asking about their condition, she asked about my day.  I was so relieved to see there were no injuries beyond the a few minor scrapes and bruises.  I prayed with her, gave a hug, and told her “I love you”.

After 10 minutes with the sister, I went to see the girl I initially heard was in the accident.  I was greeted with a great familiar smile and a hug.  She said she felt fine, but was really shaken up mentally and emotionally.  One of the things I love about this girl is how she thinks of others before herself.  Here she was in a hospital bed telling me that when it happened all she could do was pray for her sister and her friend in the truck next to her.  Hearing this from a relatively new driver makes me love what I do.  We talked, prayed, and shed some tears over the next 15 minutes before I left her to the care of the nurses and doctors.

I love these 2 girls deeply and would do anything for them at a moment’s notice.  I love their family and am so grateful for the opportunity that God has given me to be a part of his plan in their lives.  What is interesting about this whole train of events is that I felt fine from the moment I left the house to moment I returned.  While these girls are amazing and I care for them dearly, he truth is that I have about 50 junior and senior high students I would do the same for in a heartbeat.

After a few hours at the ER, I decided that it would be best for me to go home as it was certain they would be released that evening.  I got a couple burritos from a local taco shop and returned to my sickness.  This morning I feel 110% better (ala Ferris Bueller) after 10 hours of sleep on the couch of all places (Meredith doesn’t want my sickness).

Grad School

When I graduated college, I had a list of things to do before the time I turned 30 because after all, 7 years is a long time.  My list included such items as get married, be successful in my career, own a house, and get a masters degree.  With one completed and another debatable, I seem to have my work cut out for me in the next 3 years.

In August, I began experiencing the nudges to go back to school and start my masters.  After establishing that a masters degree was worthy to pursue, I only had to determine the exact field of study.  This provided a greater challenge as I entertained counseling, theology, education, cultural studies, seminary, and eventually found myself getting hooked on the idea of organizational leadership.

Now it was time to start finding a school.  After checking out Chapman, Biola, Azuza Pacific among other programs I have found a favorite in Gonzaga University.  Not only are they innovators in the field, but they have had over 20 years to mold and perfect the young masters degree known as Organizational Leadership.  In addition to being online, all the professors are the same who teach the classroom courses.  Not to mention being a Jesuit school they also have a guiding focus of servant leadership, specifically the leadership of the church.  I’m hoping to get started in the fall.  All that stands between now and then are the Miller Analogies Test, an application, and $25k. 

Can You Do Nothing for 3 Minutes?

“Originals” Prevail

This past week I spent some time in Las Vegas with my wife and her parents.  We had a tremendous time walking the strip, seeing award winning shows, and eating divine culinary delights.  As the weekend drew to a close, we had one final meal to partake in and I knew just the place.  When we visited Las Vegas a few years ago, we learned that at the Red Rock Resort and Casino there was a location of one of my favorite restaurants of all time, The Salt Lick.

My affinity for this Texas barbeque destination began in my childhood as my family traveled throughout central Texas and more often than not ended up at this smokehouse with picnic tables and a BYOB policy in Driftwood, Texas.  Every time I find myself in central Texas, I make sure that I allocate enough time for an excursion to this small, sleepy town where the entering and leaving lines stand within sight of each other.  The brisket and sausage are legendary in central Texas and the place is packed every weekend with people from all walks of life who come together in the name of good food and triple the population of Driftwood.

In the past years, they have extended their reign by opening a few additional locations in Austin (all of which I have made a point of checking out).  More recently they opened up the location in Las Vegas, which gave me great joy to know that they brisket and sausage that I held so dear was only 4 and half hours away.

So as we sat down to our lunch on Saturday afternoon with great anticipation of what I have come to know as some of the finest smoked meat on the planet, I realized we were set up for failure.  The restaurant was entirely too clean and lacked the smokey smell that infiltrates the other locations.  When our food arrived, the salivation quickened until I took my first bite and realized this was simply good, not great.

As I realized my memories didn’t coincide with my current experience, I couldn’t help but think how much better the original smokehouse in Driftwood was in comparison with a neon city that never sleeps.  This isn’t the first time this has happened to me.  Other entities that find themselves in this categorization are music I listened to as a young teen that isn’t nearly as good now (think U2, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains), my youth sports prowess (I remember every big play I’ve ever made, even if it was only the 2nd inning), and the 1994 and 1995 Rockets NBA Champions teams (they are the best).  As I get older, I think my music, youth sports experiences, and championship teams of my childhood are far greater than any of their modern contemporaries.  None of it is as good as the “original”.

Originality and our first experiences are paramount in any avenue of our life.  Our parents’ marriage largely deems our own marital outlook.  Michael Jordan showed us what it means to be the best athlete on the planet.  And when it comes to varieties of staple foods such as pizza and hot dogs, our preference is often rooted in our original childhood experiences. 

Even our Christian faith and spirituality are impacted by the phenomenon of origin.  My Lutheran church experiences have molded my worship style to be more contemplative and intellectual and less energetic and interactive.  What about the Bible passages we have memorized?  Why does everyone seem to know John 3:16 and perhaps the more pertinent question is how does that shape and construct our theology?  Because of Ephesians 2:8-9 I know I am saved by grace through faith given, not earned by the Holy Spirit.

Our origin in our faith is actually something that Paul seemed to comprehend as he penned Colossians 2:6-7 exhorting his readers to often and consistently go back to the where their faith started.  Remember the passages you first learned that taught you the basic teachings of Jesus Christ.  And even though he encouraged his readers to continue to grow in depth unceasingly, he was quick to remind them that such digging was only worthwhile if it started at the same location.

So what are those points of origin you keep coming back to?  For me I go to Psalm 143 on bad days.  I look at Job 38 to be reminded of my feeble humanity in light of God.  Romans 7 reminds me that God can use my sinful soul despite wicked desires.  Acts 17 encourages me to be diligent in my study of the Bible.  Luke 11 exposes the Pharisee within.  2 Corinthians 5 is there when I need to hear forgiveness and more focused on reconciling relationships and that there’s more important things in this life than being right.  Romans 12:1-2 makes me aware of what I’m putting in my system and challenges my choices of consumption.  And on the worst of days I get about 5 words into Matthew 26:38 and following before I remember Jesus blazed the trail I walk.

Many honors and glories will be lauded upon the newest, latest, and greatest.  They will provide hours of entertainment and intrigue, but they will never fill the spots in my life and soul formed by my “originals”.

Missing Chris Farley

As a pre-pubescent adolescent 7th grader behind the curve socially, I noticed my peers would make comments about “a van down by the river” and “that’s gonna leave a mark” followed by contagious laughter.  I quickly allocated all of my resource to finding out what the commotion was all about.  After a few weeks of religiously watching Saturday Night Live and half a dozen viewings of Tommy Boy later, I was in the loop.  Not only were my brainwaves malfunctioning from overexposure to a television screen, but I was now a life-long fan of Chris Farley.

I reminisce on such hilarity because I found Black Sheep playing and couldn’t tear myself away to get to bed at a decent hour.  This should be no surprise as this has become a regular habit of mine.  The comedic impact and longevity of Chris Farley is only matched by the greatest comedians in modern cinema.  He is one of only a few people that make me laugh every time I see them.  Whether it was an outtake, interview, sketch, or feature film, I was chuckling, smirking, and occasionally laughing uncontrollably.  What made him even greater was not just his ability to take over a scene, but how he made everyone alongside him funnier (think David Spade).

I arrived at school prepared to take my last final before Christmas break of my freshman year of high school and noticed that the conversations among students seemed to lack the content of geometry and physics as would be expected and replaced by the news that Chris Farley had died from a drug overdose.  None of us knew him, but we all understood that we were losing an icon of our generation.

It’s been over 10 years since his death and the comedic world hasn’t been the same since.  I sometimes wonder what he would have done if there was some intervention.  I wonder how he would have made us laugh and bring more joy to the viewing public.  These remain some of the things that we will never know, but his impact remains today.  With a new generation of people discovering his genius, the laughs continue as his timeless performances.  And for me, I’m just thankful I was there to see his short amazing run as the funniest man on earth.

Gmail Custom Time Testimonials

Gmail recently added a new feature to their mailing system that allows you to choose and alter the timestamps of your emails.  This is not just a great concept for all procrastinators of the universe, but it also has some convincing testimonials (scroll down to the Beta User Testimonials).

However, the feature’s tagline of “Be on time.  Every time.” (which also reminds me of Sex Panther spiel from Anchorman) is not entirely accurate.  With only 10 uses of the feature each year, it might be more accurately tagged “Be on time.  At least the first 10 times.”