BEST of 2011

Here are my picks for best finds of 2011 in books, music, tv and cinema… and some fails

[Not all of them released in 2011]

WINS:

BOOKS:

A Monster in the Hollows (F) – Andrew Peterson
- If you or your kids are fans of the fiction of Tolkien, Lewis, Rowling, Riordan, do yourself a favor and get this series now – you will not be disappointed!!

Erasing Hell (NF) – Francis Chan
- A well written rebuttal to Rob Bell’s “Love Wins”.  Having read both books, Chan makes a much more compelling, theologically faithfully sound and historically accurate case.

Imaginary Jesus (F/NF)– Matt Mikalatos
- captivating from page 1, but with a relatively weak ending, I liked it over all.

The Tehran Initiative (F) – Joel C. Rosenberg
- the latest in Rosenberg’s political thriller series once again predicts headlines before they happen.

SONG:

“Where the Streets Have No Name” (Acoustic Cover) – 30 Seconds to Mars and a gospel choir.
- do I even have to say another word?

FULL ALBUMS:

JOSH GARRELS – Love & War & the Sea in Between
- wow!  So, so , so good (and as of this writing still completely free online at his website)  Haunting, plaintive, worshipful with a dash of hip hop every now and then.  Think of a modern, artsy, Jesus-loving, Gordon Lightfoot

GUNGOR – Ghosts Upon the Earth
If you took Gungor, Sufjan Stevens, Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova and Enter the Worship Circle and threw them into a blender, you would get “Ghosts Upon the Earth.”  … and I love it!

ARADHNA – Namaste Sate
- Learned of this group just before our team went to India.  Great Indian music with Christ exalting lyrics

ANYA MARINA
- came across her EP on noisetrade.com and ended up buying her previous project.  Fun, quirky, infectious, emotive pop for date nights and long car trips.

DAFT PUNK -  TRON:Legacy
- There are many who saw this movie as nothing more than well executed eye candy, but if you’ve followed this blog, you know I whole-heartedly disagree with that.  One of the reasons being this soundtrack

ECHOING GREEN: In Scarlet & Vile
Big EG fan from way back.  Synth pop. This album hit me at just the right time I guess

YEASAYER – Odd Blood
- I have my friend Justin to thank for introducing me to this group.  Welcome back to the 80’s new wave.  There are moments where this feels like a lost Oingo Boingo album in all the best possible ways.

SHINY TOY GUNS – We Are Pilots
Not a new album.. but new to me.  This is the group who covered “Major Tom” for those car commercials.  Again, wonderfully 80’s… though  you should know there is both a ‘clean’ version and a version with a quiet, but strong profanity in one track

CHRISTMAS MUSIC:

ENFIELD – God of God
- A great refreshing take on standard carols and original songs.  My respect keeps climbing for Enfield

STEPHANIE SEEFELDT – Cradle & Cross
- when I learned my friend Stephanie was recording another (‘official’) Christmas project I was delighted.  When I heard it, I was so thankful for her gifts and skills once again.  Worshipful and tender.

VINEYARD UK – Christmas from the Vineyard
- great take on some standard carols and a some very cool arrangements of very old songs

CINEMA:

BOLLYWOOD
- pretty much as a whole.  The silly stories with their predictable formulas, punctuated with musical numbers that make you want to wobble your head and dance. 

Super 8
- I could have done without all the profanities, but this was such a hearkening back to movies I loved as a 12 year old – Goonies meets Close Encounters.  That magic I felt back in the dog days of summer, escaping the heat and reality by spending a few hours in the cinema?  That.  All over again.

Captain America: The First Avenger
- I was hoping I would like this movie and I was not disappointed.  From the camera work to the dialogue, it felt like a throwback to 40’s cinema – which works perfectly since that is the time period a majority of it is set in.  Great blend of action, humor and romance.

Rango
- We rented it and I laughed my head off


Battle:L.A.
Great, military-gritty, sci-fi film.  The honor of self-sacrifice on display time and time again.

Monsters
- Not the Pixar “Monsters, Inc.”,  the film by Gareth Edwards.  A GREAT low-budget indie sci-fi film where the alien invasion element takes a backseat to the characters dealing with the situation and their story arcs.   Not just Special FX  or high paced action.
(Six years after aliens invaded Earth, a security force maintains tenuous control in the Infected Zone straddling the U.S.-Mexican border. Andrew, a photo journalist, is documenting this war-torn area when he's interrupted by an unexpected rescue mission. Sam, the daughter of a media mogul who just happens to be his boss, needs an escort home, and Andrew reluctantly takes on the job.)

The Muppets
- just saw it today…  it got a 97% “fresh” rating on Rottentomatoes.com…and I laughed quite a bit,  but I’d put this Muppet installment at about #5 of all the Muppet movies.  I’m just going to say I love that the Muppets are back and I hope it’s for more than just this movie.

Where were Rizzo & Pepe? *sigh*

TELEVISION:

To be honest, this was the year we mostly moved away from network TV and just began watching shows via Netflix… there’s just so much poor quality stuff on TV… and I don’t just mean content .

DOCTOR WHO!!!!!!
This was such a huge find that the good Doctor has replaced the Star Wars saga for me.  That’s right – I’m posting my SW collection on eBay.  Don’t need it.  Why the change?  It has to do with storytelling.  Are there silly aliens mixed with the scary like in SW?  yes.  But Dr. Who (while much more professional today in its FX work than say the 80’s) does not rely on FX for its stories.  Star Wars started great, but has become a palette for Lucas to do FX experiments.  Trade routes?  Yawn. Gungans? Bother!  Lightsaber overkill? Ugh.
I’ll take a Doctor with a blue flashlight that we’re convinced is a sonic screwdriver that can fix most things simply by shining it’s light and making the wzwzwzwzw sound.  Dr. Tennant & Rose captured my heart. 

Don’t. Blink.

And I think I will pass on the Adipose, thankyouverymuch.

So 2011 – was  great year for entertainment… but there also were some disappointments…

tvb – TSOOL.
I love this band and artist so much that I can’t even bring myself to list the band name or album title.  I was so excited for this project… and then what I heard was so unlike everything I loved about the band.  I guess maybe I could listen again… maybe.

X-Men: First Class
- gather your stones now… I was totally unimpressed.  As an X-Men comics fan, there was so much continuity that was just thrown out the window it was like having someone hand you a McDonalds breakfast burrito and calling it a Taco Bell chalupa

FAILS

Skyline
- GREAT trailer.  Awful, awful movie.  Seriously so bad that one reviewer said, “When other films are critiqued in the future, they will be able to say, ‘at least it’s ending wasn’t as bad as Skyline’”  Yep – it was that laughably bad.

Star Wars on Blu Ray
I’ll try to say this kindly:  Epic. Colossial. Fail.
Having placed a pre-order the day these went up for sale, I promptly cancelled it when I learned of the changes Lucas made.  With the above mentioned Gungans, bad storytelling, overuse of CGI & lightsabers and increasing potty humor, I had started to drift away from SW – not even the (slowly degenerating) Clone Wars cartoon is of interest anymore.

Here was the promised “own every moment” in 1080p.  But wait.  Some of those moments have changed – for the worse.  (Krayt dragon call? Wha? Moving rocks? Noooooooooo!) Some of the promised fixes to rotoscoping sabers correctly, better color correction, etc. never happened.  And now all the bonus deleted scenes are on Youtube, which themselves are pretty ho-hum.

Angels & Airwaves – Love part II & film
I liked AvA’s I-Empire album a LOT. So it was natural to get Love:Part I when they made it available online… and hey… FREE!  Similar music, and the anticipation of a film that was to come.  An artsy film looking at the existence of God… hmmmm.  Once Love:Part II leaked online, I was able to peruse the album lyrics.  I guess Tom DeLong has concluded that the God Christians know and follow is a big lie that we’ve made up.
Well, there’s more money I can save.  I do still plan to rent the film because it does look interesting.

Here’s to a great 2012!  And, no – the world will not be ending in Dec. of 2012.

Love Wins Kerfuffle

There has recently been quite a stir over a new book by Rob Bell, entitled Love Wins.

The controversy centers around a couple questions:

1.) Has Rob Bell become a universalist, thus nullifying a core teaching of the Bible and Christianity? 

or

2.) Is he trying to use an edgy hook to gain a wider audience to whom he will then explain this tent pole teaching of Christian faith?

In this kerfuffle, I have found the following interviews extremely insightful, and if you are interested in Mr. Bell and his theological stances I would encourage you to listen to both in their entirety.

Interview with Martin Bashir: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg-qgmJ7nzA

Martin Bashir interviewed by Paul Edwards:
http://networkedblogs.com/fxXwm

My hat off to Mr. Bashir for his journalistic prowess.  

Lastly, it is very interesting to note that:

 "there will be “a church meeting this Sun [night] (at Bell's Mars Hill church), March 13 in the evening to discuss the book.” It’s only for “covenant members only by invitation” and apparently people “must register and be approved to attend” this question and answer session." (emphasis mine)

SOURCE: (http://apprising.org/2011/03/11/unrest-with-rob-bell-inside-mars-hill-bible-church/)


UPDATE:  The meeting was last Sunday.  
                  :  The source cited above is merely to indicate the meeting.  I do not regularly follow that blog and do not agree with the author's methodology/ approach .

The Wingfeather Saga continues!

I first encountered Andrew Peterson when he opened for Caedmon’s Call at a concert in Waverly, IA in 1997.  Because of his beautiful folk music and ability to use common but spellbinding lyrical imagery, he quickly became one of my wife’s and my favorite musical artists and we have seen him in concert several times since.

When I heard that he was beginning to write children’s fantasy books, honestly my first reaction was skeptical. Given my background in Christian retail, I can tell you that it seems too often a good-selling musical artist will write a book that wouldn’t hold its own apart from the author’s name.

I am delighted to tell you that this is most definitely not the case with Andrew Peterson and his Wingfeather Saga books.  These books are not carelessly written – they are gems your whole family will love! 

I had heard that Peterson began these books having been inspired by the C.S. Lewis “Narnia” books and that influence is noticeable but not in a copycat way.  Hopefully that statement comes across as the huge compliment it is mean to be.

His first book (in what will be a trilogy) “On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness” introduced us to the Igiby children (Janner, Tink & Leeli), their mother Nia and their quirky, ex-pirate grandfather Podo.  They live in a land overrun by a lizard/snake race called Fangs and wonderfully bizarre creatures – like the Toothy Cows.  After finding a secret map, the book follows their adventures with the haunting question – what was their now-deceased father (Esben) like?  Who was he?  The answer is so cool.

Their adventures are humorous and spine tingling and Peterson does a fantastic job of ending chapters in a cliff hanging way – such that neither you (or your children) will want to stop reading.

I don’t want to spoil the plot of either book, but I can tell you that what comes to mind when reading are echoes or hints of: Narnia, Lord of the Rings (though not as arduous), the Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and some delicious Douglas Adams moments.  Yes – they are that good!

The second book “North! or Be Eaten” picks up wonderfully where the first left off, which is a good thing because upon reaching the end of book one we were dying to know what would happen next.  With new and daring adventures, characters and creatures, “North” again shows Peterson’s skill at engaging the reader; drawing you into the story.  "North!" was just as riveting (or even moreso) than the first book.  We didn't want to put it down.  Like any great story, the second act is darker than act I, setting the stage for the final act.  And we were truly shocked and surprised at some of the twists and turns.  Book 2 ends with and even more dramatic cliffhanger and the agonizing wait now begins for book 3.

Wonderfully and artistically crafted, these are books of family, danger, heartbreak, hope, humor and redemption.  These are not just great children’s books – these are great books!  Pick them up now!

addition: I desperately hope these will one day be made into quality movie versions as well

the Salmon of Doubt

One of my favorite authors was Douglas Adams. I remember my first exposure to his work in elementary school while riding in a friend's car, an audio adaption of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy playing on the car cassette deck. I remember laughing quite hard.

Years later, I would read all 5 books in the Hitchhiker trilogy, and again found the plot sublimely odd. The adventures of Zaphod, Ford, Trillian and Dent Arthur Dent - not to mention Marvin the depressed robot - kept me glued to the page and often laughing out loud.

I saw the BBC television adaption of H2G2 (as it is fondly referred to) and the recent big screen adaption. But neither captured the magic I found whilst holding the written word.

I was surprised to later learn that Adams died of a sudden heart attack at age 49 in May of 2001.

I have yet to read his Dirk Gently novels, The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, or Last Chance to See, but recently while in our public library I ran across The Salmon of Doubt - a collection of files found on his Mac (Adams was a Mac evangelist.) The book contains both published and unpublished articles, the assemblage of the novel he was working on (called the Salmon of Doubt), reflections on his life and the order of service at his memorial.

I learned through the book that Adams (in large measure through the writings of Richard Dawkins) had become a "radical atheist" enamored with the theory of evolution. That last link is worth the read. In fact, Dawkins dedicated his book The God Delusion to Adams. In an interview, Adams once said that while not believing in God he did hold a fascination for religion. This fascination he ascribed to the fact that so many "otherwise rational... intelligent people... nevertheless take [the existence of God] seriously".

I was saddened to learn Adams held this view, but I found it totally ironic that the book concludes with the order of service for his memorial service held at St. Martin-in-the-Fields. He did have a funeral in Santa Barbara, CA whose details I do not know. But the memorial service included hymns, prayers, a poem assuring the departed that he does not suffer in hell but that he rests in comfort, great works by J.S. Bach, as well as some non-church music (and was coincidentally the first church service of any kind broadcast live on the web by the BBC). Perhaps these were the wishes of his family? Otherwise it is completely out of character. A man who compares anyone with religious beliefs to a "sentient puddle" would surely not want to have anything to do with a church, right? I am amused that Dawkins showed up.
I mean, if you're an atheist - what's the point? I find the same irony perplexing for those who want nothing to do with a church except be married in one. What's the point? Why make vows to, and ask the blessing of a void? Same with a funeral for a high profile atheist. There is no comfort in atheism. There is no hope. And for the atheistic evolutionist, as in the case of Dawkins, why perpetuate what you believe to be a delusion or a lie?

The proverbial icing on this "irony" cake? Adams in his love for J.S. Bach's music once wrote, "I am convinced that Bach is the greatest genius who ever walked among us, and the Brandenburgs are what he wrote when he was happy."
Why is this ironic? Bach was a man of deep, deep faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, most of his works included dedications of the music to God or the letters "SDG" on them, standing for the Latin "Soli Deo Gloria" - to God alone be the glory.

So Adams dies an atheist (as far as we know), claiming that the greatest genius to ever have lived was Bach - who believed firmly and whole-heartedly in Christ.

I say, "as far as we know" because no man knows the internal wrestlings another man goes through at death - even a sudden heart attack. I can only hope that for Adams he was able to move past his "salmon".