Thursday, November 8, 2007

American Gangster

Last week on the HJ Live internet radio program I predicted the number one movie over the weekend was going to be Bee Movie. Man oh man was I wrong. I went to see Bee Movie at one of the metroplexes in town, saw the feature I wanted to see was sold out, so went ahead and got a ticket to the nearly three hour long feature, American Gangster. I knew I wanted to see this movie, had high expectations in fact, but as high as those expectations were, I wasn’t expecting what I got. What I ended up getting was a viewing of one of the best gangster movies made in recent years.

American Gangster is the violent bio picture that follows the lives of Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts. Lucas and Roberts are both played brilliantly by leading men Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe respectively. Lucas is a black man originally from Greensboro North Carolina who lives in Harlem a burrow of New York City. While working under the tutelage of a Crime Boss Bumpy Johnson played by one of my favorite character actors, Clarence Williams III, Lucas learns the tricks of the trade that allows him to become one of the top crime lords and drug dealers in the country. This film does a tremendous job at character development with one of the best ensemble groups in a very long time. In fact, American Gangster is filled with quality, from editing, to story, to sound for a picture that in many scenes reminded me of Apocalypse Now. Just about everything about this movie from a technical perspective is near perfect. Ridley Scott has directed what will surely be an Oscar contender in a number of areas.

There is so much that can be said about American Gangster, there will be the inevitable comparisons to other gangster movies, from The Sopranos to The Godfather. While the comparisons are somewhat understandable, I think they are a mistake for a variety of reasons. In this tale, we follow the life of Richie Roberts played wonderfully by Russell Crowe. Roberts is a cop who has a heart that is too good to be true. He is so pure in fact that he has a difficult time getting along with his fellow police officers. His goodness for doing what is right isn’t lost though on the government as he is eventually selected by the Federal Government to head up a drug task force to eventually take down the drug lords of New York. While we see a side of honesty and purity, we can also quickly see a side of Richie that shows his short comings and faults. His wife and daughter see those faults, and eventually he sees the faults in himself.

The person on the opposite end of the spectrum is Frank Lucas. Here we see a person who doesn’t think twice about murdering someone, or in selling drugs that kill those in his own community. While we see him for the evil person he is, Ridley Scott does a great job at also letting us see a side of him we wouldn’t normally think about, a side that has him loving his family, his wife, and in fact being faithful to even take his grandmother to church, and to offer a prayer of thanks during Thanksgiving to his Lord, Jesus.

Throughout the progression of American Gangster we see conflict, and difficulty. We see it in the issues related to the characters, but also, ultimately in our own perceptions of people. Who is good? Who is bad? What makes one evil? What makes one good? Entwined with this conflict we see not only the struggle of character, but a spiritual battle where the characters on film and those sitting in the seats watching the movie are forced to come to some resolve on those very questions.

I liked virtually everything about this film, even with its length. The only thing I felt lacking was the rush to conclusion towards the end of the film. There are brief moments where the quality of the first 2 hours of the movie is lost towards the last 45 minutes. Don’t get me wrong, those last 45 minutes are still exceptional film making, but they do not meet the expectations of the first two thirds of the movie. From the sound to costumes, the ensemble cast and the brutal reality of the violence this movie is dark, dirty, vulgar, and ultimately reflective and redemptive. American Gangsters is a movie I will see again in the theater, and will ultimately purchase via DVD. It is a movie to be experienced on the big screen as well as enjoyed for the technical superiority and historic content.

American Gangster is a movie some will hate and some will love. Thankfully, the reviews have so far been very positive from a fan perspective, and somewhat good, but not great from a critical perspective. Take away that critic concept and listen to this fan of the gangster genera. This is a brilliant film, not perfect, but nor far from it. On a scale of 1 – 10 I will remove the critic element and give it the near perfect score of 9.

To see the trailer of American Gangster, double click on the video, if the video don't appear, just click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOSOYSLDuQE


Click Here to Go to The Virtual Pew Daily Verse and Read The Bible in a Year Passages

Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.

Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.

Click to visit and join the new group The Virtual Pew, at MySpace. Become a part of a different kind of Christian group, check out the page for more information,all welcome, including those who are not followers of Jesus.

Click to visit the Virtual Pew Website and become a part of that ministry.

Click to subscribe to my blog Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.com

You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.

Here is our contact information

The Virtual Pew
P.O. Box 17731
Wichita, KS 67217

Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew

Donations to The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew Blog
Personal Furches Web Site
Mike Furches MySpace Page
Mike Furches MySpace Blog
Hollywood Jesus
Reviews With Mike
The Virtual Pew Sermons
The Virtual Pew News
MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group
MySpace The Virtual Pew Group
The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page
To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed

Phone Number to Call During The Virtual Pew Live Show, (Please never call prior to the start of the show) - (646) 716-8587

Phone Number to Call During The HJ Live Show, (Please never call prior to the start of the show) - (646) 716-8853

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feeds/thevirtualpew

To Subscribe to HJ Live Live Feed – http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feeds/hollywoodjesus

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Home of the Brave DVD

As a fan of war movies, especially those that show the horror of war, I had high expectations for the release of Home of the Brave. I wanted to see this movie, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Beal, and 50 Cent among others in the theater. With the past work of director Irwin Winkler I thought this would be a “can not fail movie,” and the DVD would feature a ton of special features that would enlighten the story.

The movie Home of the Brave starts off with a group of soldiers serving in Iraq. It is one of the few times that some of the deleted scenes would have helped the movie. These soldiers, many a part of their local National Guard units have just been given the news they are going to be headed back home to the states shortly. They have another mission to complete, an escort that provides service to a local hospital when they are hit with an attacked by the enemy. The attack leaves these good intentioned soldiers at a place where they will forever be emotionally trapped with the horror of war. Not everyone makes it through the attack, and while the remainder gets to eventually go home, they continue to deal with the difficulty and horror of war. Home of the Brave follows the lives of four individuals who end up uniquely tied together.

Home of the Brave has an extremely talented cast with wonderfully filmed sequences, whether fighting in Iraq or struggling with the difficulties faced back home. Unfortunately, while there is a talented cast, the story is not tied together and what we end up having is a hodge podge that leaves the viewer lost and at times confused.

We see struggles among each of the characters; Samuel Jackson is having difficulty at home with his wife and children. Jessica Biel’s character Vanessa has relational issues and finds it difficult to trust, while Tommy Yates, played by Brian Presley is searching for answers to the conflict and pain experienced but not having success. One of the surprises is with the character Jamal Aiken played by Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson. This character played surprisingly well has life changing horrors that follow him home. Unfortunately we don’t see enough of the character. As each of these characters struggle with the consequences of war the story attempts to bring them together, although not nearly as tightly as I would have liked.

Despite the failures of story, and character development, there is much this movie causes one to think about in a beneficial way. It is easy to look at the headlines of the war in Iraq, or any war for that matter and not think of the long term consequences of war. There are long term consequences that do not end on the battlefield but often continue on in the battlefield of life. The battlefield of others accepting and understanding what the troops have been through, and the struggle of any one facing the difficulty of not being understood by those they come into contact with, whether family or friend. If in fact, family and friend have difficulty understanding the horrors faced by loved ones, we see how difficult it is for others outside the circle to understand. We see characters trying to understand themselves, from moments of reflective prayer, to having to face serious issues with family, friends, and ultimately with ones self..

I appreciated that Home of the Brave did not take a stand on the war; we have enough political pundits telling us what to think. Instead the focus is on the individuals it needs to be on, those who have served and come face to face with the horror of war, not just the soldier, but the family member at home having to deal with all of the issues faced in day to day life while their loved one is away. I just wish the story development for this would have been given more attention. I was also disappointed with the DVD as there are not nearly enough special features to give clarity to the story, film making, and understanding. In fact the DVD was somewhat bland as DVD’s and special features normally go.

While Home of the Brave is worth watching, don’t go into it with high expectations. If you go into it just to enjoy a couple of hours, you will be good to go. It may help you truly understand the troops in order to actually support the troops, not just in war time, but in their return home. If looking for a more powerful story, one that deals with tragedy and war, there are other fine examples of movies to see, from Full Metal Jacket, to The Deer Hunter among others. Home of the Brave may not be nearly as intense as these movies, but, it will provide subtle thoughts as to the horror of war, and the tragedy of war that often comes home with the troops.

To see the official trailer for Home of the Brave, double click on the following video. If the video don't appear, click on the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPeggaEOwf8


Click Here to Go to The Virtual Pew Daily Verse and Read The Bible in a Year Passages

Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.

Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.

Click to visit and join the new group The Virtual Pew, at MySpace. Become a part of a different kind of Christian group, check out the page for more information,all welcome, including those who are not followers of Jesus.

Click to visit the Virtual Pew Website and become a part of that ministry. Click to subscribe to my blog

Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.com

You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.

Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew
P.O. Box 17731
Wichita, KS 67217

Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew

Donations to The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew Blog
Personal Furches Web Site
Mike Furches MySpace Page
Mike Furches MySpace Blog
Hollywood Jesus
Reviews With Mike
The Virtual Pew Sermons
The Virtual Pew News
MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group
MySpace The Virtual Pew Group
The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page
To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed

Phone Number to Call During The Virtual Pew Live Show, (Please never call prior to the start of the show) - (646) 716-8587

Phone Number to Call During The HJ Live Show, (Please never call prior to the start of the show) - (646) 716-8853

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feeds/thevirtualpew

To Subscribe to HJ Live Live Feed – http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feeds/hollywoodjesus

Monday, November 5, 2007

Thou Shalt Laugh: The Deuce

I love to laugh, in fact, my faith tells me a great deal about the importance of joy, laughter, and having a good time. Unfortunately, many within my faith practice haven’t done the best job at getting people to laugh. I take a little joy that I was watching people like Jeff Foxworthy in the comedy clubs before anyone knew who he was. I always had a special appreciation for humor that made me laugh. I especially enjoy humor that does not go over board. While I can appreciate cultural humor and language is not that offensive to me I find people like Red Skelton, and others who learned their craft without offending. Don’t get me wrong, there are many comedians I have learned to appreciate over the years, people like Richard Pryor and more recently Chris Rock, but unfortunately, there was always something that made me feel a little dirty about their humor, but more importantly, something that kept me from sharing those experiences with my young children at the time.

Thankfully, Phil Cooke and the Producer of The Blue Comedy Tour: The Movie realized the importance of producing a comedy DVD the whole family could enjoy. The makers of the DVD are sold so much so on the fact that you will laugh and think the DVD is as funny as other comedy DVD’s they have a free DVD guarantee offered on their web site.

The predecessor of Thou Shalt Laugh The Deuce, Thou Shalt Laugh is the biggest selling ‘Christian’ Comedy DVD of all time. Fans of that DVD and of laughter in general will not be disappointed in this venture, especially since the entire family can sit down and laugh together.

Thou Shalt Laugh The Deuce is hosted by legendary comedian, Tim Conway. The program shows 5 comedians doing their own routines. Comedians on the DVD include Bone Hampton, Dan Nainan, Victoria Jackson, Thor Ramsey and Taylor Mason. All provide unique aspects of comedy in their own style, ranging from stand up routines to routines using mannequins, music and audience participation. Surprisingly, not only do we find ourselves laughing we find ourselves being given subtle messages of responsibility to our society, respect to all races, and an understanding of various cultures. There isn’t only comedy here; we have messages of hope and examples of how to be better citizens.

I was very surprised with the times my own son, a somewhat critical 17 year old who is into hip hop, Dane Cook, Chris Rock, and others laughed during this DVD. I have been even more impressed with his willingness to go back and watch the DVD several more times, even having some of his favorite spots bookmarked so he can show his friends the routines. In short, for me, this proves the worthiness of the DVD which is done from a Christian perspective. When Victoria Jackson shares a touching moment about sharing her faith with the Late Phil Hartman from Saturday Night Live prior to going into a routine, we see, hear, and feel the sincerity of her faith. When she goes into her poetry and song related to those experiences, we understand the seriousness of which she is speaking, but we can find ourselves laughing at the touching moments. It was later on in my interview with Victoria Jackson on the internet radio program, HJ Live that I come to understand, and appreciate even more fully not only her commitment to her comedy, but her faith, and family. On HJ Live she shared of her real life experiences from sharing with Johnny Carson, on which she appeared on his show with him 20 times over the years, to her relationship with her long time husband. While Victoria Jackson is the most obvious regarding her faith on the DVD, she is still respectful and the same Victoria Jackson many have come to appreciate from her 6 seasons on Saturday Night Live and her nationally touring comedy show.

There is something for everyone in Thou Shalt Laugh The Deuce. From the antics of Tim Conway to the satirical humor of Dan Nainan, it is all there. If needing a good laugh, and who don’t? I would suggest picking up a copy of Thou Shalt Laugh The Deuce. Thankfully this is a product the whole family can sit down together with and watch, whether a fan of Dane Cook or a Baptist Preacher in a Georgia Church, you will laugh, feel good about it, and in the process get some subtle messages of loving for, and caring for all people.

Click Here to Go to The Virtual Pew Daily Verse and Read The Bible in a Year Passages

Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.

Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.

Click to visit and join the new group The Virtual Pew, at MySpace. Become a part of a different kind of Christian group, check out the page for more information,all welcome, including those who are not followers of Jesus.

Click to visit the Virtual Pew Website and become a part of that ministry.

Click to subscribe to my blog Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

To see a video of Thou Shalt Laugh: The Deuce, click on the videos below. If the video don't appear, simply click on the links:

The Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg1U0tIf3nc



The Doctor's Office
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG4VI1huVrM



Taylor Mason Calling God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzuI7Q6sMto



Dan Nainen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgXAgAh_On0



Bone Hampton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxk48RalN2I



Victoria Jackson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx9XkuiiDSQ



Bone Hampton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYfA6QmFNyY



Blonde Jokes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eFuvNv5vsk



Some Races Don't Belong in Some Jobs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvoBQBFtV1o



Movie Prices
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWnrgNWDhLk




Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.com

You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.

Here is our contact information

The Virtual Pew
P.O. Box 17731
Wichita, KS 67217

Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew

Donations to The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew Blog
Personal Furches Web Site
Mike Furches MySpace Page
Mike Furches MySpace Blog
Hollywood Jesus
Reviews With Mike
The Virtual Pew Sermons
The Virtual Pew News
MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group
MySpace The Virtual Pew Group
The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page
To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed

Phone Number to Call During The Virtual Pew Live Show, (Please never call prior to the start of the show) - (646) 716-8587

Phone Number to Call During The HJ Live Show, (Please never call prior to the start of the show) - (646) 716-8853

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feeds/thevirtualpew

To Subscribe to HJ Live Live Feed – http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feeds/hollywoodjesus