Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Blue Like Jazz, The Movie
A number of years ago I got to spend some time with Steve Taylor, director and co screenwriter of Blue Like Jazz, I doubt he remembers it, but I certainly do. On one occasion I was on a panel discussion with him at the National Youth Workers Convention in Dallas Texas. There was another time I met him while I was with the band I was working with Rob Castles Band (AKA Rob Cassels Band) when we were doing a show at the Creation Festival in Pennsylvania. I was backstage behind the stage when Steve arrived at the festival. I noticed a large number of people asking him for autographs as he was a remarkable performer. I will never forget him cautioning those fans over their seemingly ‘worship’ of him. He told them something like, ‘hey guys, please, it is all about Jesus not me.’ He unlike so many others I had met in the ‘Christian Music Industry’ actually practiced what he preached and lived out his faith in a real and honest way.
There is also my association with the cinematographer and co writer of the screenplay of Blue Like Jazz, Ben Pearson. Ben was in Wichita with mutual friend Gay Quisenberry showing his new movie Kabul 24 at the Tallgrass Film Festival. I had a lunch meeting with Ben and a few others and was telling him of my disdain over much of what was considered ‘Christian Cinema.’ I told him of one of the few movies I had seen that I liked called Second Chances. It was real, communicated truth and for a freshman effort from Steve Taylor I was very pleased with the movie for its reality and authenticity. Little did I know, and was shockingly surprised when Ben told me that he had also written the screenplay for the movie and had also done the cinematography. We developed a friendship after that and I was pleased when I heard of his own involvement in Blue Like Jazz, the somewhat controversial novel being made into a movie with Christian overtones written by Donald Miller.
I went through a gambit of emotions when my friend Gay Quisenberry told me the movie was having difficulty raising funds for production. I was shocked because the novel had been a New York Times Best Seller. I couldn’t imagine the movie having difficulty being made. I was working on my own short film, The Long Walk at the time and Gay told me about a fund raising website ran through Amazon called Kickstarter. Apparently Blue Like Jazz was using this site as a means for fans to support the making of and production of Blue Like Jazz. It wasn’t long before Blue Like Jazz ran the most successful Kickstarter Campaign to date. Raising over $350,000 the movie was made with a theatrical release. I had something to look forward to. I knew several people where the book had had some impact on and knew the movie would have the same impact on others
Blue Like Jazz the movie is based loosely off the book by the same title written by Donald Miller. The movie basically has Miller growing up in a strict Southern Baptist home where he comes to realize much of the hypocrisy that goes on within the church and in particular between his mother and the youth pastor. His father, an outcast and divorcee from his mother has arranged for him to attend the ultra liberal arts college in Portland Oregon, Reed College. After going through a sort of crisis of faith and a rejection of his beliefs, the story follows Miller through his journey in a humorous, yet realistic rediscovery of his faith. We see an honest search ultimately not just in Miller but in other characters in the story.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how one looks at Blue Like Jazz one can’t help but come across and deal with the comparisons to the ‘Christian Film Industry.’ Blue Like Jazz follows a realistic concept, complete with language, and situations that most any typical college student going to a non Christian Liberal Arts College would go through. It is here that much of the controversy, within the ‘Christian Industry’ has made addressed. Despite what many think, I think the sense of realism is something those outside of the typical conservative or fundamental Christian faith will appreciate, especially those who aren’t Christian. In the process, Taylor goes places few others in the Christian Industry have gone before; he understands his audience and the message. I personally found the ‘language’ and ‘situations’ to be mild, then again I have my own experiences in the attempt to tell a realistic story to an audience other than ‘Christian.’ Of course I also realize there are those who come from a more accepting, non judgmental belief system who may for one reason or another feel uncomfortable with the various situations presented on screen. I would challenge and ask those individuals, when we read about a savior named Jesus who was accused of many things, including going to too many parties, dealing with and having relationships with some unsavory characters, to ask ourselves the question, where do those uncomfortable feelings come from? I am not, nor do I think the makers of Blue Like Jazz are advocating for unruly, or inappropriate behaviors, but they simply understand, it is a part of the reality of many and that possibly, like the Apostle Paul, they are finding ways to become all things to all people in order that they may win some. I happen to think Blue Like Jazz is more of a Biblical narrative in authentic form than an advocation of behaviors some may consider undesirable.
If seeing Blue Like Jazz and I hope most of you do, don’t expect an Academy Award movie, it simply isn’t and there are times you can tell the film is a low budget film. The acting, script, direction and set are far above most of what has been done in the past in ‘Christian Cinema.’ If I had any complaint regarding the movie it is in knowing of Taylor’s remarkable music career and my being disappointed with the musical score. Other than that, I felt the movie held up well with other films, despite the genera of film. It was a good measure above the majority of so called Christian films. That all said, I can’t help but think that Pearson, Miller, and Taylor would all, if not have already, cringed at the comparison to ‘Christian’ film. I suspect and appreciate the likelihood, it was likely their intent to make a good movie, by any standards, but one that also held true to the concepts and Christian World View they each possess. To that end, I think they have done a good job.
There are concepts in the bible that has Jesus talking about ‘story;’ including several passages that states that he (Jesus) never taught them anything without first telling them stories. After he told them the stories he often gathered them together to explain the meaning of the stories. In that regard, Blue Like Jazz is a telling of story that has underlying Gospel (meaning good news) themes. There are also Biblical concepts speaking about the importance of planting seeds, a metaphor for sharing Biblical truths, then depending on where the seed falls determines where, how, and what will happen to that seed. I am a firm believer that film, especially film with truth concepts can be used to interpret and tell the ‘Good News.’ That story is often better understood by those who are outside the typical ‘Christian’ mold. While many expected Blue Like Jazz have as its primary focus, overt religious themes, even giving the answers, I believe the conversation that comes about after the film, the evaluation and search for meaning of the film will allow God to ultimately be the one that does the ‘convicting.’ This way, each person, in their own way, can be touched and think about the messages relating to their own individuality. It is in many ways, just as Jesus used story to generate thought and curiosity, that I believe Blue Like Jazz, even though it isn’t perfect, will lead to perfect, wonderful, thought convicting conversation about the reality of Jesus versus the illusion often presented by religion. Then again, as a note to the reader, I have to make mention as to my conviction of this because I have come to similar conclusions in my own life as a result of God using methods similar to those used in Blue Like Jazz.
I love that the team behind Blue Like Jazz maintained the courage to go outside and beyond the norms of those in their faith community who also make film. Unfortunately, while some are critical of their approach, I happen to believe their approach will result in honest and sincere searches for the truth about God through the evaluation of where ones self is at in the process of that search. While this isn’t a perfect film, it is one that many will likely look back on and see it as a stepping stone for films of its type. I say this because of my own journey in the making of the feature film based on my short. Many have been critical of my book, The Keystone Kid and the short movie, The Long Walk for some of the same reasons they are critical of Blue Like Jazz. I know though the responses and feedback I have received from those outside of my faith as to their appreciation of the honesty in the telling of my story. I know of the same type of feedback Donald Miller, Steve Taylor and Ben Pearson have heard from others regarding their search and enlightenment that has come about from Blue Like Jazz. The Bible isn’t a ‘G,’ ‘PG,” or even ‘PG-13,” book. Some may say that if portrayed as written we would have to give the Bible a ‘NC-17,’ rating. I fall into the realm of those who see the Bible as a ‘NC-17’ story. That doesn’t mean that we have to reveal everything in our telling of story, but just like planting seeds on different types of ground, in different places, for different folks, I am glad the makers of Blue Like Jazz have made a movie for an audience that will appreciate what they see. Personally, I am not concerned with those who think the story can’t or won’t reach those who need to see and experience its story. I believe that if God’s Spirit is capable of reaching murderers, rapists, thugs, the rich, poor and all other kinds of folks we see touched and reached in the Bible, then surely God will, can, and has found a way to use this story to reach people who will relate to its story. I know one person who was touched from it, me, and for that, I am eternally grateful for the work of the crew behind Blue Like Jazz. I unfortunately expect this movie won’t be in the theaters long, it should, it is that good. I do expect it will do very well in the DVD market though, hopefully with a more detailed marketing campaign, using the great press it is getting along with the favorable reviews from those attending the movie itself, we will see that happen, better yet though, a resurgence of word of mouth regarding the movie. Lord knows, there have been other films, not nearly as good that has done well at the box office. Blue Like Jazz deserves the same type of following, I for one, hope it gets it.
To see the video posted below, click on the video, if the video doesn’t appear or appears in distorted form, click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOglQgyxYkI
Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid
Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter
Mike Furches on Faceboook.
Click here to visit Mosaic Church where Mike is Pastor
The Keystone Kid/Virtual Pew Message Boards
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 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.comYou 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 6441 N. Hydraulic Park City Kansas, 67219
Email: mike@furches.org
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Donations to The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew Blog
Personal Furches Web Site
Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page
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
Bubble Guppies with Wanda Sykes Movie on DVD
I have been trying to figure out as of late the recent phenomena regarding the resurgence of bubbles. There are bubbles with color, bubbles with scent, big bubbles, bubble machines, little bubbles, there just seems to be bubbles everywhere. My beautiful granddaughter Aaliyah is infatuated with bubbles; I couldn’t help but wonder why? Then there were the words she was saying which made no sense to me, ‘Bubble Guppies! Bubble Guppies Pee Paw!’ I can’t even begin to describe my confusion and wonderment. Then her daddy, my son, told me about how she loved the television show Bubble Guppies. It made no sense, then I had as an assignment; the opportunity to review the new DVD movie, Bubble Guppies. Luckily, I had the wisdom of a 2-year-old little girl to help me understand the DVD. After that approximate 2 hours of time, my questions about the resurgence of bubbles, and Bubble Guppies, may have just been answered.
Now I have to admit from the very outset, I am one of the rare few that have not been the biggest fans of Nickelodeon or their programming. There just has been too much disrespect for parenting for my enjoyment. That isn’t to say all programming is bad, there is the innocent enough programs and on a rare occasion, the exceptional program that I have enjoyed. With the new movie and DVD release of Bubble Guppies, I was pleasantly surprised, not just at the attention my 2-year-old granddaughter was giving the show, but the appropriateness of the show.
There are several features on the DVD including the short movie where the primary feature has The Bubble Guppies discovering certain aspects of Fairy Tales. There is also the search for the Bubble Puppy which is quite adorable. Wanda Sykes plays a fun role in her part as a witch attempting to keep The Bubble Guppies from discovering the truth about certain things. She adds an extra fun dimension to the story adding to the enjoyment likely more so for the adults than the children watching along. One of the things I didn’t know or expect was the educational techniques used in the show, from music to simple games within the program, I was impressed with the ability to teach, even a 2-year-old simple concepts. That along with the 3-D types of effects of the computer CGI and bright and brilliant colors had this an easy to watch, enjoyable program.
Now as to character development, don’t expect The Grapes of Wrath, but believe me, this program does an excellent job at communicating on a lower level to the small children watching it. I was simply put, amazed at the things my granddaughter picked up on, but maybe she did that because she is a genius after all.
There are valuable lessons presented in this show that goes along with the teaching which occurs. The concepts of friendship, diversity, sharing, and other attributes which demonstrate decency was in all honesty somewhat surprising. That says something in and of itself though about how we tend to prejudge others. The reality is there is beauty in all of us as we are all created in the image of God. These concepts can also bring about a measure of respect that helps in the understanding of God’s creation.
One of the concerns I have about this program is that it is so good it maintained the attention of a very small child for a long period of time. The movie teaches a concept of togetherness and love but if the DVD is used as a babysitting tool it is really the parent that is loosing out. I would hope and pray that this be a DVD that parents and their small children sit down together and watch as opposed to a babysitting tool. It is unique enough that it will entertain adults and children. There is even a special feature that has karaoke and another which involves dancing that my wife and I literally did with our granddaughter. Not only did she love this, but we did to. That is the beauty of this video, the potential for families to have fun together. The uniqueness here is that most of the time, there is just little available that will keep the attention of both adult and child, Bubble Guppies does it.
With the release of this DVD, I expect the DVD’s will be flying off the shelves. I have already seen the program selling for above retail prices on eBay and other online services. A unique concept I know, but I would personally recommend, if you have a small child in your life, especially one who loves Bubble Guppies, purchase this when you see it on the racks. It will make for a fun experience in doing something few movies of this type have done in the past, bringing the very young together with the very old. Heck who knows, you may even be dancing and singing with your child sooner than expected if you aren’t already.
To see the video posted below, click on the video, if the video doesn’t appear or appears in distorted form, click on the following link:
http://vimeo.com/36783617
Bubble Puppy's Fin-Tastic Fairytale Adventure with Wanda Sykes from Jessica Wilson on Vimeo.
Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid
Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter
Mike Furches on Faceboook.
Click here to visit Mosaic Church where Mike is Pastor
The Keystone Kid/Virtual Pew Message Boards
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 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.comYou 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 6441 N. Hydraulic Park City Kansas, 67219
Email: mike@furches.org
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Donations to The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew Blog
Personal Furches Web Site
Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page
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
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Wicker Tree on Bluray
1973 was the year of release of the original cult classic, The Wicker Man starring among others, Christopher Lee. Then in 2006 we had the uninspired release of a newer version starring Nicholas Cage. Now some 35+ years after the original release we have a follow up story. Highly anticipated by many fans of the original, the new story tackles some new ground, in new ways, yet with memorable scenes and connections to the original. Unfortunately, while there are moments of awe, I can’t help but believe that most, just like me will conclude with the feelings that the film falls just short.
Imagine a young Christian couple, soon to be married deciding to leave for a mission’s trip to Scotland. Imagine it especially when you see the young woman in the couple, Beth Boothby, played by Brittania Nicol is a popular Christian Music Singer. She and her cowboy boyfriend drive around in limousines, but are willing to give it all up in order to share their Christian faith with ‘the sinners’ of another country who follow their ‘foolish religious beliefs.’ What transpires next was for me first and best illustrated in the movie titled Jesus Fish directed by Titus Jackson, the naivety of many who call themselves Christian. There is a belief that their faith will carry them through all circumstances, all situations, and that the power of prayer can transcend ones on foolish and naïve beliefs. There seems to be a mind block of verses in the bible for many like; ‘it rains on the just and unjust,’ as well as concepts where poor decision making, even by good people, results in one learning and discovering that there are consequences for actions and the reality that sometimes, bad people do things that impacts good people.
There are brief moments where The Wicker Tree presents brilliance. I certainly have to give kudos to the sound editing of this film as well as to some of the visual images presented on screen. There is thought provoking story, in fact, one may even say at times, a brilliant contemplative story but overall the lapses in quality lead to the demise of the film as does the poor overacting. That isn’t to take away from some of the horrifying and thought provoking images we see presented but there just isn’t the consistency the film needs to make it work.
One of the thought provoking concepts of this film will be to see how many respond to the themes related to people of faith, and the strong questions as to the deciding factors on which faith to follow. There is a very brief appearance of Christopher Lee where he answers a question of his son as to how determine which faiths are true and which aren’t. He concludes that a lot depends on where you have grown up and been taught. While there is truth to that answer, with the disparity among many faiths, and certainly responses and comments from Jesus about himself as being; ‘the way to heaven’ or by others with comments like, ‘there is no other name under heaven where one can be saved,’ there are certainly questions thrown into the viability of all religions. The reality that some religions contradict themselves in such stark ways shows that it takes little reasonability and logic to determine they can’t all be correct in the summation of their beliefs. While there may be common points, the totality of differing beliefs offers stark contrasts. We see this in The Wicker Tree with the perspective that there are consequences for naivety within each of the belief systems presented.
There were things I liked about The Wicker Tree, I can’t technically classify the film as it isn’t really horror, or gore, but it is different, thought provoking and eerie. There is far more story than horror, but there is also comedy and music. It has a little bit of everything and there are components that keep the movie entertaining, it just happens to fall short in the end. There are a few special features on the film and the ‘Making Of’ feature is definitely worth watching. There is little benefit of the Blu-ray version outside of the sound quality and some of the varieties of music involved. Viewers will be surprised by the quality of sound including in much of the score music including The London Philharmonic. As to my recommendation on how to view the film, if available for rental you may want to give it a try, you may like it better than me and it would be interesting to hear your thoughts after viewing the movie. I will say, it certainly perked my interest to go back and see the original, for that, there is some value.
To see the video posted below, click on the video, if the video doesn’t appear or appears in distorted form, click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO_ZRkDD26A
Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid
Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter
Mike Furches on Faceboook.
Click here to visit Mosaic Church where Mike is Pastor
The Keystone Kid/Virtual Pew Message Boards
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 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.comYou 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
6441 N. Hydraulic
Park City Kansas, 67219
Email: mike@furches.org
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Donations to The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew Blog
Personal Furches Web Site
Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page
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
Imagine a young Christian couple, soon to be married deciding to leave for a mission’s trip to Scotland. Imagine it especially when you see the young woman in the couple, Beth Boothby, played by Brittania Nicol is a popular Christian Music Singer. She and her cowboy boyfriend drive around in limousines, but are willing to give it all up in order to share their Christian faith with ‘the sinners’ of another country who follow their ‘foolish religious beliefs.’ What transpires next was for me first and best illustrated in the movie titled Jesus Fish directed by Titus Jackson, the naivety of many who call themselves Christian. There is a belief that their faith will carry them through all circumstances, all situations, and that the power of prayer can transcend ones on foolish and naïve beliefs. There seems to be a mind block of verses in the bible for many like; ‘it rains on the just and unjust,’ as well as concepts where poor decision making, even by good people, results in one learning and discovering that there are consequences for actions and the reality that sometimes, bad people do things that impacts good people.
There are brief moments where The Wicker Tree presents brilliance. I certainly have to give kudos to the sound editing of this film as well as to some of the visual images presented on screen. There is thought provoking story, in fact, one may even say at times, a brilliant contemplative story but overall the lapses in quality lead to the demise of the film as does the poor overacting. That isn’t to take away from some of the horrifying and thought provoking images we see presented but there just isn’t the consistency the film needs to make it work.
One of the thought provoking concepts of this film will be to see how many respond to the themes related to people of faith, and the strong questions as to the deciding factors on which faith to follow. There is a very brief appearance of Christopher Lee where he answers a question of his son as to how determine which faiths are true and which aren’t. He concludes that a lot depends on where you have grown up and been taught. While there is truth to that answer, with the disparity among many faiths, and certainly responses and comments from Jesus about himself as being; ‘the way to heaven’ or by others with comments like, ‘there is no other name under heaven where one can be saved,’ there are certainly questions thrown into the viability of all religions. The reality that some religions contradict themselves in such stark ways shows that it takes little reasonability and logic to determine they can’t all be correct in the summation of their beliefs. While there may be common points, the totality of differing beliefs offers stark contrasts. We see this in The Wicker Tree with the perspective that there are consequences for naivety within each of the belief systems presented.
There were things I liked about The Wicker Tree, I can’t technically classify the film as it isn’t really horror, or gore, but it is different, thought provoking and eerie. There is far more story than horror, but there is also comedy and music. It has a little bit of everything and there are components that keep the movie entertaining, it just happens to fall short in the end. There are a few special features on the film and the ‘Making Of’ feature is definitely worth watching. There is little benefit of the Blu-ray version outside of the sound quality and some of the varieties of music involved. Viewers will be surprised by the quality of sound including in much of the score music including The London Philharmonic. As to my recommendation on how to view the film, if available for rental you may want to give it a try, you may like it better than me and it would be interesting to hear your thoughts after viewing the movie. I will say, it certainly perked my interest to go back and see the original, for that, there is some value.
To see the video posted below, click on the video, if the video doesn’t appear or appears in distorted form, click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO_ZRkDD26A
Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid
Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter
Mike Furches on Faceboook.
Click here to visit Mosaic Church where Mike is Pastor
The Keystone Kid/Virtual Pew Message Boards
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 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.comYou 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
6441 N. Hydraulic
Park City Kansas, 67219
Email: mike@furches.org
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Donations to The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew Blog
Personal Furches Web Site
Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page
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
Ice Road Truckers Season 5 On DVD When The Script Goes Beyond Reality
Spoiler Alert: There are aspects of the season which will spoil part of the program viewing for you included in this review.
Many have a perception that what they watch on Reality TV must be reality and what they watch on the History Channel, must be history, right? Right! The reality is that many are often dooped by what is called reality and this season while watching what in the past has been one of my favorite shows, Ice Road Truckers, I had some serious questions and most came about by watching the events surrounding one of the shows primary characters, Dave Redmon. One of the concerns I had was the reality of what appears to be production scripting on the life of a real person who just happens to be on a reality show. Fortunately, there is enough footage available that with a little effort, one can see the reality of how a television show may have just taken on, and used, the wrong person.
As to how the show is put together, while it is supposed to be reality television, Ice Road Truckers Season 5 is filled with entertainment, character development in such a way that one can’t help but see the scripting of the program. It is beautifully shot, although season 5 seems to have some let downs when comparing to previous seasons, especially the spin off seasons of IRT Worlds Most Dangerous Highways. We have a unique cast of characters, made up of real people, unfortunately, some we like, and others we don’t. When realizing that we are watching scripted television, one may become frustrated at the direction the program takes as much of it just doesn’t make sense. That said, I was personally still drawn to keep watching.
This season of IRT has a different flair from the past, we see one crew driving for the Carlile Transportation Systems group, a route generally known as the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks Alaska to Prudhoe Alaska and another group driving in Canada, from Winnipeg Canada to various remote communities. Through the course of this we see conflict between Dave Redmon, a new driver appearing previously in IRT Worlds Most Dangerous Highways, and his employers and co drivers, especially, Tony, a clear favorite within the company he works for despite his tendencies to be late and following his own schedule. We also see on the Winnipeg group three drivers where two drivers, Hugh and Rick team up and enter into what could be considered a race between the tortoise and the hare with the third driver in the region, Alex. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how one views this series, we move from the excitement and danger of the roads themselves, (in some ways the stars of previous seasons) to the characters behind the wheels of the various trucks on the road. When seeing what transpires, especially with Dave Redmon in this series, a driver from Alabama with over 25 years of experience, I begin to wonder early on in the series, if this man was being treated fairly, and if in fact, this reality show could be doing more harm than good for the man. I knew he wasn’t an actor, and the way he was being presented and portrayed, in all likelihood, just wouldn’t work in most societies. If looking close enough, it became apparent; the editing process was not presenting him well. If however, one put themselves in his place, doing the work he was doing, they would likely find themselves feeling and acting more like Dave than they may realize.
Unfortunately in life we are often misunderstood, taken advantage of, and put at the mercy of the actions by others. How we respond to it is often be the measure of who we are and what we can accomplish, to a point. It is often said; ‘don’t let another impact your situation.’ That is easy for one who has a measure of wealth and independence, but for many who are at the mercy of others, whether an employer or a situation. It is easy to use words like ‘be strong,’ ‘persevere’ and others, but for most, words do not always allow one to escape their situation. This season of IRT shows what appears to me as an injustice in the way it represents, portrays, and impacts the life of one of its characters. Yet, he won’t allow himself to be anyone other than who he is. He speaks up for himself and often goes off and does things his own way. That is another reality of the world we live in, even when being effective at what one does and producing results, it does not mean others will want or allow us to do things other than the way they want. I love that my faith allows freedom and the opportunity to find peace. There are places of solitude where one can find peace with who they are and what they have done. The inconsistency and on screen antics of this show among the drivers by management especially regarding the driver, Tony Molesky, and his tendency to be late, and have other drivers consistently wait on him, was to me, just as atrocious as Dave’s antics. What is true regarding either driver is hard to understand or know as we the viewers of the program can easily loose confidence in the reliability of the story we are being shown. Unfortunately we live in a world that isn’t always fair, but that shouldn’t be a cliché we blindly accept, we should also accept, appreciate and understand the beauty of individuality.
IRT Season 5 is intriguing television. I honestly don’t see it as reality television though, especially Season 5. It is far more scripted than I would like and I don’t especially like the path it takes in the way it presents its characters. Unfortunately, while worth watching, it is the type of season that could play havoc on future seasons. Not because the characters in the show aren’t worth watching, in fact, they are, it isn’t because there was less danger in this season than in seasons past, it is because of the way the producers of the show chose to go with the characters and how they chose to impact their lives with what ‘they’ thought would be best for the show, thus taking it from ‘Reality TV’ to something that many programs have gone in the past. These types of actions have likely led to less appreciation for 'Reality TV;' it certainly kept Season 5 of IRT from being an enjoyable show in the end. When someone who can clearly drive the ice roads above the Arctic, in far less time, in a superior way over other drivers and isn’t appreciated or rewarded, one has to question, what is this show really about? If in fact there really is a Dash for the Cash prize or competition of some kind then the producers of this show would bring back Dave Redmon for another season to prove that he was in reality, the most effective and best driver on the show. Outside of working with the film crew in the truck, (where we also see some conflict,) driving really is a solitude type of job, while there are others on the road, to rob a man of his individuality, when he does it effectively, just doesn’t seem right to me, but since when did any of us really expect what was right from a ‘Reality Television Program?’
While there are some decent DVD special features with this product, I couldn’t help but miss out on the obvious exclusion, a follow up on the dispute between Dave, the Carlile Company and Tony. There are some outtakes and some interesting things, but while appreciated, even they fall a little short in content for me.
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