U.N. Me Exclusive Interview with Ami Horowitz

I recently had the opportunity between his media blitz to interview Ami Horowitz. He had just concluded an interview on Fox & Friends and was scheduled to do several more through upcoming days prior to the release of his documentary movie U.N. Me. I had just finished the review of this exceptional documentary and was pleasantly surprised at Ami’s willingness to talk. The following is the transcript of that interview:

Ami Horowitz – Hey Mike, how are you man?

Mike Furches – Doing good how are you doing Ami?

AH – You know Mike, I’m sitting in an Embassy Hotel and I’m talking about my movie. I’m doing pretty good right now.

MF – You’ve been making the circuit

AH – Yeah

MF – Who all have you been speaking with the last few days?

AH – First thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me but oh my God, you name it, Fox, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Washington Post, we’ve done, I don’t know, probably a hundred interviews.

MF – That’s quite a bit and with a limited release?

AH - Yeah, and listen man it’s all about awareness.

MF – A few questions I have for you…

AH – A few that’s it? (laughter)

MF – Yeah just a few.

AH – That’s all you’ve got for me?

MF – (laughter) Well I was wanting to ask a few things that maybe folks haven’t asked. Your movie poster; I live in Kansas…

AH – I love it you start off officially asking a question no one has asked before. (laughter)

MF – Okay, I live in Kansas and I could not help but pick up on the Wizard of Oz theme. Tell me the reasoning behind that theme and its imagery.

AH – First of all let me ask you a question?

MF – Okay, go ahead

AH – Be completely honest, because I am curious, but, did you like the poster?

MF – I love the poster, I know it went through several changes and variations though.

AH – I’m glad you did, and it went through a lot of versions. A lot of people didn’t like this poster, I happened to like it. It’s this whole notion of you journey to this place where you think all is going to be great. Ultimately what comes down is that the Wizard behind the curtain is not what we thought. In the case of the movie, it was not the benevolent leader of the world that was trying to help us to the noble mankind which is what I think we would all like the UN (United Nations) to be and is supposed to be and some of us think it is. In reality it is something much more complicated than a lot of movies, it is something much darker than that. The movie really is about a journey and the Wizard of Oz kind of struck me as a very similar type of step that I was taking.

MF – I was impressed with the look of the film, can you tell me some about your crew, their shooting techniques, cameras used and so forth

AH – Okay, another question no one has asked me, a filming question; Wow! I never get filming questions it is always human questions. You know, I had zero filming experience prior to going into this thing. I knew I needed to surround myself with a crew that was very talented. Not just a crew, but a writing team, an editing team and more, so that’s what we did, we put together what I think was an all-star crew to make this of writers, editors, photographers. I chose them very carefully. I made a list of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen and I hired the people then. That was important. Equipment wise I didn’t know film making at the time, I do now, but we basically split most of the movie between two cameras, an A camera a Panasonic Varicam and a B camera a Sony HDX.

MF – And the names of some of the folks who worked on your crew, specifically in the cinematography? I actually thought that for a documentary the cinematography was actually quite good.

AH – Well thank you, I appreciate that. The two guys who shot the vast majority of it was Bob Richman. Bob is an absolutely phenomenal cinematographer. He shot An Inconvenient Truth; he shot Some Kind of Monster and some other great films and a whole bunch of other big time movies. He shot thousands of hours. He tried to capture all kinds of moments; it was almost like a sport. The other fellow, Wolfgang Held, he shot Bruno. I really wanted somebody who had the sense of both the traditional documentary sensibility but also the comic timing sensibility. I wanted to capture that. I knew we were going after some pretty funny, but at the same time, scary stuff. I wanted something that would capture those moments in the right way.

MF – One of the things I know is that you come out of a banking background. That said, your sense of timing, especially the comedic moments were rather ingenious to think about it. To address such a serious subject and at times serious situations and transcend that with comedic moments was quite good. Were there people who helped with the scripting on that or is that just a part of your natural talent.

AH – (laughing) Oh geez, it was all my ability Mike. (both of us laughing now)

MF – (Laughing) and the writers had nothing to do with it?

AH – You know, it is a combination of luck, a combination of good lighting, and I guess, yeah timing is a part of it. Also, let’s be fair, you have the ability to edit out the parts that didn’t work and made sure we kept parts of it that did work. Yeah, it was a combination of all of those things. I took a big risk of putting myself in the movie, and believe me, it wasn’t because I wanted to, and that is a long, long story. I prefer to only look in a mirror if I can. It was a big risk but I did feel that it was important the audience was there for somebody, it was on a journey. It wasn’t just my voice that makes people feel disconnected. Having a face they can attach to, identify with that was really important.

MF – You said that you had watched several documentaries that you thought were among the best. What were some of those you watched and studied?

AH – I would say that my favorite documentary of all time is called One Day in September. Did you ever see that?

MF – Yes

AH – A really powerful documentary. It did have some influence on us in the way that it told a story where we all know how it ends. Right?

MF – Right!

AH – They were able to keep it so taught that you were on the edge of your seat, but they were also able to break out details that nobody knew. A lot of us know this story, we know it, but I had to find a way to create something interesting so I spent a lot of time watching that. Obviously all of the Michael Moore stuff. Despite what one thinks of his politics, the man does know how to take a documentary and make it interesting. He took the movies in what I think was a stayed genre and he turned it on its head. I have certainly noticed how much he has influenced me.

MF – One of the things I said in the review I did was that I thought U.N. Me deserved just as much of a national theatrical release as anything Michael Moore has done in the last 20 years.

AH – Oh thank you, that is very kind.

MF – It was clear to me that you had learned some of Moore’s influences but I also made comparisons to Morgan Spurlock.

AH – Sure

MF – A couple of tougher questions; It seems like a lot of the religious and political right are supporting the film, for example, Fox, and others, one of the questions I would have is there are a lot of issues that are addressed in the film; what do you believe are some of the solutions to the issues addressed in the film related to The United Nations?

AH – So your question is what are the solutions to the problems?

MF – Yeah

AH – Yeah, well there’s two parts. If you are asking if they will ever solve them or whether or not there are solutions. I do think there are solutions; I am not sure they will ever solve them or get to it. For instance, there are things I think they should do. One is I would hope they would have accountability and transparency in the UN because there is none there right now. That’s one of the major problems. They are accountable to no one. They’re completely non transparent. The second thing is to implement standards. They have no standards. That’s how they end up in the muck. You’ve got to say to Iran, a nation who beats women on the streets for dressing improperly, you can’t give advice here on women’s rights movements at the U.N. It just can’t be. You can’t have Libya when Gaddifi was there, chairing the Human Rights Commission. These things are insane; Syria can’t be present in the security counsel. Once they begin to implement standards, I think they’re going to have a head start to solving their problems, especially once they implement transparency and accountability. Now the question is if I think they are going to do that, I am not sure that is going to be the case. Not unless they are forced to. We can force them, the take away here for the audience is that we can force them to be accountable and transparent if we want to, because, we the United States supply them 25% of their financing every year. That from the beginning is where we are now. If we tie our money to reform that is the only way change is going to happen there.

MF – That’s a message that should reach across political lines. Would you agree with that?

AH – 100%! I happen to be a little bit to the right of center; everybody else who worked this movie outside of me is to the left of center. I am assuming you felt this way to, we made sure there was no politics involved. We made a movie we thought was right, there was no left or right leaning, we said here’s right, here’s wrong, not right or left, but right or wrong. The way it came out, is I don’t think it had any political bias at all. That was the intention, in fact, if I can take one thing away about this movie, other than box office, (laughter), I would hope that right and left come together on this issue, completely to be honest with you. But as you said before, and I can’t control who likes the movie or likes me, but the right is a big supporter of this movie, yeah I understand the interviews and all I am getting, and I saw the Washington Post piece that came across 15 minutes ago, but in a time where we are so divisive, if we can bring right and left together on this issue and do something together.

MF – Thanks so much for your time I really appreciate it and hope the movie does well.

AH – Thanks so much and I really appreciate it.

In closing I have to ask a question, is it possible, that on such matters as The United Nations, doing such inappropriate things, that people can come together despite their differences? I just finished watching the mini series The Hatfield’s and The McCoy’s. I sometimes wonder, is the political climate at such a place where injustice, warring attitudes, and I don’t give a rip attitudes exist which prevent people with differing beliefs from coming together and doing what is right. Are destined for a feud between the Left and Right that resembles The Hatfield’s and McCoy’s? When an agency that is supposed to promote peace and justice around the world idly sits around with no accountability or no transparency, I have to wonder, how far will this idiocy go before we as a nation, come together on an issue of such importance? I will admit, I pray for our leaders, I pray for those that govern over and are given responsibilities of carrying for others. I pray they seek wisdom and quit being so dogmatic as to where they do nothing. In our, (United States,) overseeing of how we spend approximately 10 Billion dollars a year and host an agency that is not doing their job I think it is fair to speak up to our officials and express our opinions. I would hope that all people, all citizens, whether Republican or Democrat could at least come together on this issue, until we do, innocents will continue to be abused and killed. God save us all when we allow that type of attitude to continue.

To see the video below, just click on it, if for some reason the video doesn’t appear or is distorted or not in full frame, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqkweHCtT3Y

The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry. Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work. Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the material is provided.

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U.N. ME

You know, there are just some things that shouldn’t be political, well at least shouldn’t be driven by political agendas. I always figured as a matter of human decency, that when something is good, it should be seen as good, when it is bad, it should be seen as bad. There are some things, say like a car company that refuses to fix a part for less than $1 per part because they figure that they can save money by paying out personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits. In that case, thank you Michael Moore. Then there are situations like when you buy a hamburger, you should be able to get some things without a ton of sugar added to the product, thank you Morgan Spurlock. Now if you don’t know, I reference what many consider two very decent documentaries, Roger and Me and Super Size Me. Both films I enjoyed a great deal. Unfortunately, at least in the case of Michael Moore, many perceive him as now trying to push a political agenda, unfortunate since in many ways he kind of set the standard for many a documentary film maker. I always enjoyed his humor, even though he moved towards a personal agenda a little too much for me but the one thing I always appreciated about these two film makers is their ability to address a subject of serious importance, while at the same time, injecting a little humor into their film.

There is a new film maker on the horizon, one that comes from of all places, a banking background. His name is Ami Horowitz and he is taking on The United Nations. A subject many have strong opinions about but one the overwhelming majority of people don’t know of the seriousness of the issues related to The United Nations. As serious as this topic is, Horowitz takes it on with facts, the people involved, and good old investigative journalistic approaches, all while injecting satirical humor that should have fans of Michael Moore appreciating the work, yet, also confused because many on the political right are praising U.N. Me. On that note, remember how I started off the first paragraph? It is a shame that anyone would draw political lines here, especially with a movie that clearly shows the atrocities being perpetrated by, supported by, and in some ways, funded by the United Nations. That should and likely will have an impact on Americans who see the film, since America is the host of the United Nations and funds in excess of 9 Billion dollars a year, an increase of approximately 23% since 2009.

One of the things I seldom comment on in my documentary reviews is the characters on film, but I can’t help but make mention of the on screen time with Ami Horowitz. This guy is one heck of an entertaining gem. While this is a documentary, he fills the screen. I don’t know how much of what he did was scripted, how many takes it took, but there is so much, including interviews that are just laugh out loud funny. There is a quality in his direction. There are times to be serious and Horowitz does it, yet, he goes further, he has a unique way of showing the absurdity of certain serious situations, while at the same time, breaking the narrative with either humor or satire. It is here in many ways that he reminds me of Michael Moore, except, where Moore has of recent years come of as more of an angry old man, Horowitz has an innocence about him that should have fans of Moore and Spurlock among others enjoying his work

One of the things I am critical of, especially in regards to Documentaries is in the area of sound, lighting, and scripting. What a pleasure it is to see a movie of such significance take seriously not only the subject matter but also the way it is made. I have been a fan of documentaries for some time and know there is some terrific work out there, yet, truthfully, I haven’t seen as talented a documentary film maker since Morgan Spurlock and his making of Super Size Me. U.N. Me is not only educational, enlightening, and thought provoking, it is also funny, heart breaking and extremely entertaining. This is the type of documentary that fans of the movies will be able to watch, enjoy and get something out of, hopefully with a bur up their butts to get them to take seriously the atrocities that are occurring around our world. More on that later though, but technically, I was expecting a half way done documentary, yet this former banker, now turned film maker has put out one terrific bit of cinema. One that frankly, deserves as much of a nation wide opening as anything Michael Moore has put out in the last 20 years.

U.N. Me is an engaging, can’t take your eyes off of it 93 minute dissection of the atrocities occurring under the guise of the United Nations. Horowitz, as writer and director explores a variety of areas regarding the operations of the United Nations. In the exploration he lets us know from the outset, that the original purpose and still yet, some of the work done by the United Nations today is good, but he has us wondering what happened to the organization. It is clear, there are human rights violations that have occurred under the watchful eye of the United Nations, some of those violations occurring at the hands of the UN troops on the ground, those who over see them, and many others. From human rights violations to misappropriation of funds, the UN has become a weak shadow of what they were intended to be. Some may say after seeing this movie, a glaring reversal of what they were intended to be. From Rwanda, to Iran, and from Darfur to child sex abuse, one has to ask the questions as to why this organization continues on in the ways it does, especially on American soil at the cost it does to American citizens, when many of the nations in the United Nations have a clear and obvious hatred of not just the United States, but a clear and obvious willingness to commit human rights violations. While some on the left may choose to point a finger at United States policy, at times which may be justified, to ignore the violations occurring in other countries that are occurring to the extent they are is an unconscionable position for one to take. This film is weaved with first hand accounts, and amazingly, first hand video support of the violations. It is impossible to argue in favor of the UN policies and procedures in my opinion. At the point one does, I have to wonder, is it because of their hatred of The United States, or because they really don’t care about the issues of abuse that are clearly presented on screen. If this is the intent of Horowitz, he has greatly exceeded my expectations in explaining his point of view.

One of the things the Bible is clear on, despite the misrepresentations over the years by those who oppose Christianity, and yes, many Christians themselves, is that God is a God of justice who expects not just his people but societies to stand up for the poor. Of course for many, how that is done is legitimate debate. Some say the Bible speaks of issues of injustice, poverty and so forth over 2,000 times. Jesus himself clearly states that the only difference between those who have sincerely followed him and those who don’t is based on what they do, and don’t do for the poor, the homeless, the oppressed etc… To be driven to act based on feelings of power, money or any thing else when it doesn’t take into consideration the need to help is wrong and not Biblical. When done so out of pride, arrogance, and political power it is not just wrong, it is horrific. Some would even say, it is sin which separates us from God. I was in all honesty moved so much so that I don’t know whether to call this a review of the film or an editorial. I do know this, it is a shame that when we place so much emphasis on the image we present and ignore the murder of close to 1,000,000 people in Rwanda or know nothing about the atrocities currently going on in Darfur where innocent, men, women, and children are being slaughtered, in the case in Rwanda with machetes after in one situation the UN forces abandoned approximately 2,500 people they were to protect, because the image of impartiality was more important to the forces that be at the UN than protecting innocent life, many of which were children. Then to know, that some of those very people responsible for the slaughter are in positions of power and totally ignoring the things going on that we can clearly see from the footage and on the ground reports, including people like those in charge in the case mentioned in Rwanda. The politicians of the world have taken their positions of power out of arrogance and pride and unfortunately appear to care little about the needs of the people they represent. Of course expecting someone who justifies the murder of innocents to speak truth in situations like these should tell us whether or not we are the fool or not. Of course we can’t expect these types of people to speak truth, in many situations the UN, could have, should have, and maybe in a few instances has been an agency worth supporting, but I have to question is it now? The Bible talks about everyone standing before God someday, in that time, we need to say we stood up for what was right. I am reminded by the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:30, ‘…anyone who isn’t working with me, is working against me.’ As a person of faith, I can’t stand by and support an action, a will, a determination which is clearly working against the very precepts of my faith.

As stated earlier, this review is in many ways more of an editorial. Rarely has film impacted me, made me angry with what I would call righteous anger as has U.N. Me. Ami Horowitz has exercised brilliance in his ability to get me to contemplate, feel and express this. Yet, he did it while using humor and all of the other tools at his disposal. I normally rate movies on a scale of 1-10, especially for those prior to release or currently in theaters; I do so due to the fact you are likely spending your time and money. Let me tell you, I can’t give this one a high enough rating due to the necessity of seeing it. I would have a hope and a prayer for this one, just as Moore made a difference with Roger and Me, just as Spurlock made a difference with Super Size Me, my hope and prayer is that Horowitz will make a difference with U.N. Me. God knows, if he does, it will save innocent lives and help bring about justice. For that, how could I give anything except a rare and very deserving 10?

To see the video below, just click on it, if for some reason the video doesn’t appear or is distorted or not in full frame, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqkweHCtT3Y

The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry. Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work. Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the material is provided.

Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid

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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

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True Blood Season 4 on Blu-ray

Let me make clear right from the outset, I am a fan of the HBO series, True Blood and while I wait to watch the series each year with the DVD release as opposed to the airing of the on HBO; I am none the less, a serious fan who loves this show. One of the things programming like this does is makes it difficult to continue from season to season with the same intensity, exciting story and entertaining moments. Yet, there is a reason some of the premium television networks such as Showtime, Starz and HBO are producing some of the best entertainment on any screen, be it television or theatrical; their writers and film makers have found says to do just that, keep it fresh with memorable characters where over time, the characters on screen experience the details and specifics of life that most any viewer can relate to, because in some ways, the characters on screen have become larger than life. Season 4 of True Blood is no exception and the ability of this program to mature and advance is one of the reasons True Blood is among the most anticipated, enjoyable and entertaining programs out there.

One of the most entertaining aspects as of recent in regards to television is that with the advent of digital filming and editing practices, much of what we see on television from a visual perspective is just as good as anything we see on the big screen. The problems often lie in the ability of the writers and to present quality story. One of the benefits of a team of writers on shows like True Blood is that a fresh, intriguing and entertaining approach is used with sometimes new and upcoming writers. These programs, and certainly shows like True Blood incorporate quality film makers in the making of quality programming which allows for character development. While some will think the special effects, horror, sexual scenes in programs like this are what the program is all about, they couldn’t be further from the truth, while it is true, all of those things exist, it is after all an adult program, the heart of the program is story. That doesn’t exclude the reality that True Blood is filled with excellence in editing, sound, cinematography and more. HBO has a track record of making hit television series that impact culture, anyone remember The Soprano’s? For those that remember the icons that came from HBO, follows television or contemporary culture, you already know how True Blood has become one of those kind of shows.

One of the interesting aspects of this season is the inclusion of new characters, scenarios and challenges. These range from relational challenges between Sookie, Bill and Eric and the inclusion of Fiona Shaw as Marnie Stonebrook a witch who brings in some of the shows characters into a coven which will challenge the powerful Vampires of Louisiana with the threat of extinction. While Shaw is one of the weaker characters in the series she is still a strong character which develops and improves over the course of the season. Other strong aspects of character development include the relationship between Sookie, Eric and Bill, (who has become King of Louisiana). It is intriguing in regards to their relationship, there is also the relationship between brothers Sam and Tommy who have a hate/love relationship, and Jason, Hoyt and Jessica deal with friendship, love, and broken relationship, just to name a few. It is one of the things that make a series like this work, there can be an ensemble cast, with various story lines and they all work because there is opportunity to develop each character and the relationships they are in. This season, there are each of these situations and more. They help the story evolve to a heart pounding, confusing, frightening, and shocking conclusion which is among the best conclusions of any series filmed in many years.

This season of True Blood embodies the concepts of working together, facing challenges and overcoming evil. Sounds crazy doesn’t it? Especially when considering that as a part of that challenge is seeing vampires as potentially good. While there are good and bad vampires in True Blood, we see some of them as more human than not. Among them is the challenge of the walking dead, the reality of death, eternity and the search for God. We see one vampire constantly on their search for truth in the reality of God, while having another who considers himself an Atheist. There is even a vampire, Jessica, who was active in her youth group at church, prior to becoming a vampire. We see some of the struggles of her Christian upbringing along with her challenges of being forced into a reality that is contrary to her spiritual upbringing. While we don’t see any strong Christian characters, we do see the dilemma of living out ones faith in a dark world. We also see the potential of good among people other than those coming from Christian environments. We also see the manipulation of such worlds with deceit among characters, even at times, those characters we see as good. This is a reminder that there is as much potential for evil as there is good among people. Each person is a blend of good and evil and it is the choices they make which determine the reality and consequences of those choices and lives the characters live. There is no doubt as to the conflict between evil and Christianity in True Blood as can be seen from the opening sequence to the film. The reality of life and death and the eternal are clearly presented. While True Blood takes on more of a humanistic perspective in its presentation over that of a faith concept, the challenges, confusions and lives of the characters and their dilemmas’ are likely one of the reasons people enjoy the program. Of course there is the messiah character in this years episode, Jesus (using Spanish pronunciation) who offers up love, forgiveness and sacrifice for the salvation of others. One of the unique aspects about this character which many may have issue with is his homosexual relationship with Lafayette. This shouldn’t take away from his sacrifice and willingness to battle evil, even conquering evil in order to bring about good.

In some ways, True Blood has become like a church where people check in each week to see the lives of the characters on screen that are going through the same issues they are. We see the good and bad, right and wrong decisions in the lives of those characters. They can be seen in a positive way because we also see the consequences of actions. We see this especially in the concluding episode of the season. There are prices to pay for the decisions the characters have made and there are realities that sometimes, there is little time, if any time to correct the mistakes made. We are reminded of the need to make good of the mistakes we have made and to let those we love, know we love them. While there is the reality that sometimes the dead continue living, there is a time for the dead to move on and finality to life on this earth. The living will once again be with those who have died by dying.

In the real world, outside of the television flat screen, one is reminded of their need to live life and prepare for life after death. While some may see their life as a ‘living in the moment’ experience, others see life as one that involves not only the moment but the things that can be changed by the life one lives. The concept of faith is one of the struggles the character Sookie faces and her struggle is one many can relate to. There are people to love, situations to impact, and a brighter better future where one can provide for others. We see that in her example there is no right or wrong answers, at least that she has discovered. Just like the characters in True Blood, many of us may engage on our own journeys as to what is truth and right. That struggle is one many can relate to because many have been involved in that search for truth. It is likely one of the reasons many are drawn to this series. The inevitable search for life, the truth involved, and the spiritual answers we are all looking for. Sure there is violence, sex, action, and more, but those are only mirror representations of reality. The search for friendship, longing, and purpose though, whether the character be a vampire, witch, shapeshifter, werewolf, werepanther, fairy, human, gay, straight, Christian, atheist, poor wealthy, is displayed quite well in True Blood. Just like in True Blood, there may be a savior awaiting us all named Jesus. While that Jesus will certainly have differences than the character in True Blood, the salvation, love and sacrifice is still there if willing to look. While many may be critical of the components of the show they don’t like, I would hope one would focus on the truths presented in the show that draws people in masses to watch it.

I was initially concerned with where the story was going in Season 4 of. I wasn’t crazy, especially at first, with the incorporation of the witch story line, but, as the story developed the other story lines took over and the witch story line improved. I especially liked the focus on the various characters. While I had the Blu-ray version of the DVD to preview, complete with a digital download, and the regular DVD’s, I didn’t see the necessity of the Blu-ray outside of the special features. I must say, those special features make the purchase of the Blu-ray variation worth it. The special features on Season 4 are simply put, the best and most enjoyable special features on any DVD I have ever viewed. While there are some good features that resemble other features of the past, like the making of features, the enhanced viewing features are so much worth it! It is the first time that I have gone back to watch every enhanced version on any DVD. I wanted to see more because they actually add so much more to the story, even for those who have watched the seasons in the past. True fans of True Blood will be glad they purchased the Blu-ray version just to see the additional background and story added in various ways, including new filmed segments with character commentary. My daughter who has read all of the books stated that she felt the fans of the books would appreciate the enhanced viewing more because there is detail about some of the minor characters and situations in the series that go back to the book story line. I realize there are those who don’t have a Blu-ray player, but features like this are one of the reasons Blu-ray won’t die. Some fans enjoy the special features and at present, many of those features can’t be included in a digital format. While the Manufactures Suggested Retail Price for the Blu-ray DVD is high, $79.98, one can buy this at various online stores and discount box stores for around $50. For the fan of the show, it is worth it, and if you don’t have the Blu-ray player, it is worth buying one as you will enjoy it for this series, and likely more to come.

Many will enjoy True Blood Season 4. While I would personally recommend getting the series from season 1, there is enough background with this season, especially with the enhanced versions, that one could start their viewing experience here. I also think the questions of what is good, bad, and the consequences of the decisions one makes are worthwhile topics and are topics one will think about after the initial entertainment is over. I can’t wait for Season 5 and if HBO wants to help out with the monthly premiums, I would love to review it on a week to week basis, otherwise, I am already anxiously waiting for the next season to be released on DVD.

To see the video below, just click on it, if for some reason the video doesn’t appear or is distorted or not in full frame, click on the following link:


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

The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry. Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work. Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the material is provided.

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

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Reviews With Mike

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To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed

ABC's The River, Season One

There is entertaining television, crazy television, educational television, even intelligent television. Unfortunately, if there are cancellations, it seems like the intelligent shows get canceled. I have the unfortunate task of reviewing ABC’s The River, not because it is a bad show but because it was an intelligent show, I liked, that has been canceled after one season. At least this thought provoking, at times supernatural horror series concludes Season 1 in a way that won’t have too many people too upset. There is another hope though for fans of the show; that the DVD itself will be successful enough that at least concepts of the series, whether by story, television, cable or something else, could live on. While I don’t expect it, I can hope. Unfortunately, The River is a show that in my opinion was never given a chance. ABC should have tried different times, days, or something, even giving it another year but as I have mentioned in the past, some of the networks don’t seem to care about the loyal fans that exist.

The River had an intriguing and interesting concept. Dr. Emmet Cole, (Bruce Greenwood) and his family take part in television nature show called The Undiscovered Country. After the show has aired for some time, Dr. Cole decides to go deep into the Amazon to explore some supernatural rumors of the region. He leaves his son, Lincoln, (Joe Anderson) and wife Tess, (Leslie Hope.) He goes off with a film crew and ultimately disappears. Later on some discoveries are made and Tess gets her son Lincoln along with some of the old film crew to help track down and find Dr. Cole. What transpires is a supernatural thriller that at times crossed boundaries for television in the way it is presented. This well told, acted, edited and scripted story includes creators like Orin Peli known for his movie Paranormal Activity and a little known producer some folks have heard about named Steven Spielberg. Unfortunately, this 8 episode, midseason replacement is never given a chance to develop an audience by ABC and as a result, after one shortened season, the series was canceled. That doesn’t prevent this DVD of Season 1 from being worth owning though, not only is it worth owning, it plays and presents itself better than the television version as it ends up playing like a long, entertaining, intelligent supernatural movie.

As The River progresses we see the development of various characters including Dr. Cole who is presented primarily in video segments the rescue crew discovers on his old research boat, The Magus. The ship sits like a ghost ship in the Amazon Basin and it is here the crew gets the ship up and running to search for Dr. Cole. It is here we see the family dynamics start to come into play. There is another dynamic presented as the characters develop trust in some relationships and concern in others. A part of the development schemes does not know the characters or how they are intertwined, if they are intertwined at all. The hand held camera work used in many of the sequences keeps the viewer involved in the story; we develop our opinions about the characters, which constantly change through all 8 episodes. It is a part of the not knowing and having questions about the characters that the series is somewhat unique and intelligent in its portrayal and character development, this is especially true with the Cole Family and other characters such as Captain Kurt Brynildson, a body guard played very nicely by Thomas Kretschmann. While some may make comparisons to other hand held camera programs, this one is unique in the way it involves the viewer in the action and it is done in a way that is much easier to watch than previous efforts.

One of the things that make The River so enticing is the suspense in the program. There is a reality of the supernatural, a question of what are good vs. what is evil and in the process, knowing that terror often comes from things unseen. I especially liked the fact that much of the terror and emotion comes from moments of silence as well as blurred images. One of the things the program does to help this concept out is it uses video interviews to discover the inner feelings of the characters. In the understanding of those characters is the reality that when under certain conditions and situations, how one thinks or reacts and are sometimes totally different. It is in the challenges that one discovers their true selves. Just as the characters don’t fully understand who they are or why they are the way they are, we can see the mirroring of our own discovery. The ability to see the horror of the characters on screen can help one come to the place of recognizing their own needs. It is often after the opening up, discovery and acceptance of self that one can get to the place of helping others. We see that in The River. Just as the Bible talks about it is only when we give up our life that we ultimately gain life, we see the gaining of life in The River. There is also the premise of sacrificing for others. It is the sacrifice for another that one can often see the reality of ones love.

One of the challenges of the series is the way it carries on the debate between faith and science. While Dr. Cole is a man on a search for truth, his rescue crew comes to the place where they recognize the reality of the spiritual by the awareness and recognition of the evil around them. It is through evil that they realize there is more to their existence than initially realized. There are times where they experiment with the evil around them to discover certain truths and those moments lead to bad things. There are consequences to pay for themselves and the innocents around them when they carry out their actions. In this search for love and understanding is another aspect which the viewer can relate to.

I liked The River, the way it is filmed and the way the viewer is brought into the action. There is an excellent story and the lack of imagery in many ways leads to the thrill and excitement we experience. I was not crazy about the special features and while they are offered, even with two commentaries, there just isn’t that much offered other than the film makers having a good time while describing the scenes being played out, specifically in the pilot and closing episodes. While there is an open ended ending, there is still an opportunity for resolve and one will be satisfied. I would have liked to have seen a second and full season and think it would have done well but ABC disagrees. For those who like intelligent thrillers, laced with a touch of the supernatural but with screams that come from the imagination as opposed to on screen antics, this could be for you. You certainly won’t have much to loose with the lower pricing on this 8 episode series. Give it a shot, who knows, with great DVD sales and rentals maybe the fans can be a part of bringing it back in some form or another.

To see the video below, just click on it, if for some reason the video doesn’t appear or is distorted or not in full frame, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnFxBOLUZ14

The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry. Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work. Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the material is provided.

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

History's Season Six The Universe on Blu-ray

I have to admit, I hadn’t seen a single season of the History Channels’ The Universe until this season. Considering that this is the 6th season of the series, one can’t help but respect the efforts of The History Channel to take on such a massive effort at explaining the mysteries and science of this great universe. I can’t help but also think, that in six seasons, there has to be a repeat of some basic information as it is presented in this largely CGI imagery and discussion involving various scientists from various specialties. I don’t know how much of this series is repeated from the past and how much is new; I can only review based on what I have seen and what I have seen up to this point is season six. In that, I can’t help but be impressed with many things, confused in some, left in awe with others, and perplexed at the totality of this project.

The Universe, Season Six is largely a CGI presented program. While there are images of The Universe that certainly come from real footage, much of what is shown couldn’t be done without CGI. While many television series of this sort fall short in CGI quality, as has even The History Channel at times, this particular series looks quite good via Blu-ray in both the visual and sound qualities of the program. There is enough interview segments and real life video footage that keeps this show entertaining and easy to watch. While I expected a narrative format over the season, each episode appears as a stand alone program. It still comes across as entertaining and educational as each varied program has various subject matters, all of which are well scripted. I have to admit, while I loved science in school I wasn’t a good student and should have taken my studies more seriously. This series would have increased my interest in science specifically regarding the universe and space. The History Channel does a good job at explaining the theories and science of the universe in an entertaining way.

One of the things I liked about The Universe, Season Six, although I don’t agree with all of the conclusions is the willingness to address the possibility of God, and/or other sources, (such as aliens and ufo’s) in the understanding of the origins of the universe. As I watched the series, especially the doomsday episodes of which there are many, I couldn’t help but recognize the complexity of the universe. I am not a scientist, but I consider myself educated and one who has the ability to think outside of the box as well as within the box. I appreciate things like logic and reason and it has been stated by others in the past, I can’t help but think the only logical explanation for the origins of the universe is the hand of God. The complexity of something like the universe, coming about from nothing, takes a greater leap of faith for me than the possibility of God. The complexity of faith, including its own possibilities is a concept that caused me to ponder within my own Christian faith practice.

I follow a faith that centers on the person of Jesus Christ. Aspects of that faith are congruent with other faith systems such as Islam and Judaism. Each of these faith systems recognizes a monotheistic God (singular God.) All would accept the Old Testament, much of their faith books overlap from the point of creation up to several hundred years before Jesus and Muhammad. Each of these faiths speaks of a God, who they claim created the universe, and knows each of us by name. The complexity of God, his ability to create something as massive as the universe and at the same time know each person by name is something I thought about while watching this DVD. I appreciate that various perspectives, including the possibility that God created the universe is presented in a respectful yet, objective way. In the search for the origins of the universe, we also see the universe explained in the very first verse of the Bible, where it states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The place of faith in the search of science versus faith includes an act of faith, no matter which concept one believes. Unfortunately, one of the concepts that permeate many is that science and faith are not cohesive or mutually compatible. I disagree and the series, at least in one program may cause one to think of the possibilities.

I realize that for many, many of the concepts of the The Universe, Season Six may be rehashed stories and science. As mentioned earlier, I don’t know as I haven’t seen the previous seasons. I did find Season Six enlightening, entertaining and educational, but more importantly I found it thought provoking, causing me to marvel if you will at the concept that with the complexity of the Universe, I serve a God who knows me by name. That said, there was something I didn’t like about the DVD set, the lack of special features. With a series of this type, it would have been easy to include special features, including complete interviews, varying view points, and the myriads of information that I am sure ended up on the cutting room floor.

I am not certain if the blu-ray quality of this DVD set is a must own for DVD owners. I would say, the low suggested retail pricing and sure to be lower pricing makes it an okay purchase. I would have been glad to pay the few extra dollars on an already low price for the Blu-ray. I just don’t know if everyone will view it that way. I hope that as people watch this, they understand, much of what is presented is theory. While there are certainly doomsday aspects to this series, I am confident in my faith, and find solitude in my belief in a God. I don’t know how one who has no faith in God would feel good about the conclusions in this series. There would certainly be very little, if any hope. I realize that faith is a concept that can’t be measured; I also realize that whatever view on the creation of the universe one takes, there is a measure of faith, whether in God or science. I think there is a third place we can come to with a better understanding of the complexities of the universe that is accurate in using science, yet at the same time, seeing and believing that God is the creator. There is no doubt we live in a complex and massive universe. There is also no doubt that over the years, a great deal of wisdom and knowledge has come about regarding our universe. It is nice to know, this series breaks it down in such a way that we can see and better understand those complexities of the universe we live in. As for me, this series didn’t answer all of my questions, but did make me appreciate the power of God regarding the detail, majesty, and awesomeness of the universe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJv_VePCX7U

The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net.  I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church.  I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is  much more going on than most realize.  I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the material is provided. 

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

The Avengers, In 3D & On The Imax

From the early 1960’s to the early to mid 1970’s my mind was partially molded by comic books. My grandfather was one of the culprits who had his kids and ultimately me reading them. My grandfather was a man with a 3rd grade education but one of the smartest men I ever knew. Later in life he memorized a word a day, but the love of reading all started for me, through him and my uncles, with comic books. Most of them were war and western formats. There were all of the historical television western characters such as; The Rawhide Kid and Ghost Rider. There were soldier characters like Sgt. Rock and Sgt. Fury. They opened doors to other comics, especially at first, the horror genera. Those included at first books like Grimm’s, Eerie and Creepy, but later on others like The Phantom, Spiderman. One of the things I found out was I got more bang for the .12 cents or so I spent with a new book coming out, The Avengers.

The Avengers was a comic by Marvel Comics that incorporated stories of the Marvels Hero cast, all in one book. I could read about my favorites over the years, working together and sometimes against each other, there was especially two of my favorite characters of all time, Captain America and Thor. Later on another favorite, The Black Panther joined the cast and the early work of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby who created the series would go on to live forever, in fact, so much so that one of the best, if not best super hero movies of all time would come out of the creation.

I had the opportunity to see the new movie The Avengers on opening night. I had heard good things about the movie but fully expected it to have a hard time living up to the hype. The story incorporates heroes from recent movies including Ironman (Robert Downy Jr.,) The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo,) Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America (Chris Evans.) Included are new characters in the series including a more extensive role for Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson,) The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson,) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner.) With every good comic book story you also need a good villain; we have a returning villain here, the brother of Thor, Loki played by Tom Hiddleston. With so many characters, including some rather important ones not mentioned, one would think it rather difficult to make a movie involving all of them with all of the differing story lines and keep the story cohesive and more importantly, enjoyable without the egos and attitudes shining through. That last point helps bring out the real genius of this movie, which is the direction and writing. In 2 words it is quite simple, The Avengers is Freaking Awesome!

I saw The Avengers in 3-D on the IMAX. Many often ask, and for good reason, if it is worth the extra cost. I would say that for 3-D absolutely, and if not getting motion sickness easily, yes as well to the IMAX experience. If having difficulty with motion sickness though, there is so much action that the IMAX experience could be a little difficult; I found the action constant and very enjoyable though. This brings me to another aspect of this film I want to make sure to mention; the excellence in filmmaking.

I was concerned as to the ability of director Joss Whedon’s ability to keep all of the egos in the film satisfied, while at the same time telling a congruent story that had meaning beyond just action sequences. To be quick to the point, it is likely the direction and scripting of The Avengers was the critical point to making this movie so fantastic. No greater sequences show this better than the non verbal, non action sequences of Chris Evans who plays Captain America. The viewer can see and relate to the inward struggle of his character in the acceptance of things that have transpired over the last 70 or so years his character was asleep and frozen in ice. He has lost love, friends and the world is not the same. While this is seen in verbal communications, it is clear and driven home in his non verbal work. It is the type of work by an actor that earns many award nominations. I won’t be surprised if that is the case here. I must also comment on the totality of the movie, from the action, to the CGI effects, they are there as well and along with story everything about this movie is entertaining and has value beyond entertainment value; there is value such as the importance of friendship and the need of many coming together. There truly is strength in numbers, especially when those numbers have direction and a unity.

There are points and times in The Avengers that we see disunity, self consumption and self seeking attitudes that create difficulty. While there are characters which try to bring everyone together from the start, we also see characters that need a change, a transformation if you will. It is only after the death of a respected and liked character that The Avengers realize their need to come together. Just like in real life, it is often only after the sacrifice or death of another that we take life seriously. This is especially true in the important things of life. It is easy for the characters to be self absorbed, after all they are super heroes of sorts, (some are merely human with unique and special skill traits). It is in the humanization of the characters that we can relate to the characters on screen. It is their ability to overcome and ultimately their willingness to sacrifice their lives for others that we learn to respect them and find an appreciation for them.

One of the primary themes of the film is the concept of Loki seeing himself as a God. Now note here I will also designate my view of a god which will refer to a human or lesser god and God (note capital letter G) which refers to a real and true God. Many religious groups may have issue with the sub story of brothers Thor and Loki seeing themselves or being presented as Gods or demigods. I challenge they are presented as gods with limitations and weaknesses, especially Loki, but I think it is clear Thor also realized this about himself. There is a scene, one of my favorites where Natasha and Captain America are talking and Natasha, speaking of Loki, states; “But he is a God!” Captain America responds, “Ma'am, there's only one God, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't look like that.” There is another great and audience applauding moment when this scene plays itself again with Loki and another character, The Hulk. The audience I was with cheered and applauded. In that moment there is a measure of hope for me. Is it possible that people may be more open to the monotheist concept of God than we sometimes give credit for? If so, and I believe these moments give credit to that, one begs to ask the question; which version of God among the many religions? I challenge, it is in the person of Jesus we see this portrayed and seen to perfection like no other.

In looking at the comment from Captain America, “...there is only one God , and I’m sure he doesn’t look like that.”, and looking at The Hulk’s comment later on of Loki being a ‘puny god,’ one has to ask, what is it that makes Jesus unique and worthwhile? For me the simple answer is not just his mighty power, although that exists, but it his perfect love. Many times, Stan Lee, the creator of The Avengers, has been questioned as to his faith as a result of the moral messages that come about from his stories and characters. There is a video titled; The League of Super Churches which is clearly a Christian piece. There is no doubt that at the very least, Stan Lee has taken a position to show morality themes. Many of those, such as Peter Parker AKA Spiderman and here, Captain America, fall into that category. There are obvious attempts to point toward God and an acceptance and awe inspiring appreciation of God.

I loved The Avengers; it is a perfect movie, with a perfect purpose, and a perfectly positive message. I can only hope that any subsequent follow-up will be as good and this one is so good it will be hard to surpass it or equal it. The only possible draw back is that people should really watch the previous stories of, The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America. There is so much background in those stories the viewer needs to know, especially from likely the least favorite of the recent movies in the group, Thor. I have mentioned in the past and even coined the term several years ago, you really need to make sure to stay until the end of the movie, meaning wait until the credits are done. This one does something a little different; it has a hepiloguej in the middle of the credits but another at the very end of the credits. Certainly the one in the middle of the credits has more meaning as it keeps the movie close to the original concept presented in the comic book version of The Avengers and opens up the door to the sequel that will follow in some form. While The Avengers can be an enjoyable movie without viewing the previous films and their respective hepiloguejs your viewing experience will be enhanced and you will truly see and appreciate the developed story line.

The Avengers is a movie well worth the cost. I plan on seeing it again, and am even willing to pay the full price if need be. I doubt I will see it in 3-D again as I have had that experience but will certainly see it in Digital format. I expected the film to do good on opening weekend; I didn’t expect it to do as well as it did though. After seeing it, I think it will have some legs that will carry it on with the word of mouth being as good as the hype. The Avengers is a rarity in film and another rarity as to my ratings of theatrical films. On a scale of 1 – 10, for the perfection of story, action, and morality, I give a very rare 10

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=wq2RBj_eMC0

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