I haven’t written much as of late. Stating the obvious to me and the inconsequential to everyone else is how I like to start most of my entries.
Here are my thoughts on shuffle mode.
American Idol: I’m really ticked that they didn’t pick Jamar Rogers for the final 36. I like him a lot and could see him and his friend, Danny Gokey, making it easily to the final 12. Instead they chose three of the most annoying Sanji’esque people, Stephen Fowler, Nick Mitchell and Titianna Del Toro. I’m betting the people at votefortheworst.com have already called to thank the producers. It seems the producers are more interested in obnoxiousness and ratings then in actually putting through singers that can actually sell albums. All I can say at this point is that my wife and I’ll be voting for Danny and hoping he wins so that he and Jamar can cut an album together. Maybe the next dc Talk. I’d definitely buy their albums. BTW I own only one album by an Idol alum and that album is Daughtry by 4th place finisher Chris Daughtry. We’ll see how the top 36 shake down, but if they give much more air time to the three above mentioned annoyances then I think I’ll skip this season.
Luv, tru luv?: Teen love is hard to take seriously. My wife and I watched “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist” tonight. It was enjoyable in that it was the first movie in a long time that we sat down on the couch and watched together without trying to clean, grade papers, sew or some other chore. The movie wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t recommend it, nor would I discommend (sp) it. Inconsequential is the best term.
It seems too many movies go for the teen crowd. I know why: teens spend a lot of money, they have the time, can cast up and coming talent and such a movie is cheap to produce. Just a sec… I have a new script idea, better call my agent.
No answer. Anyway, the problem (and yes there’s always a problem) besides the promoting of unsustainable sexual chemistry, superficial physicality, reckless driving, risque night life, and a few dozen other dangerous juvenile behaviors is that there was no moral to the movie. Nothing. And yes, I’m starting to sound like a grumpy old man.
In my defense, I liked the last Michael Cera movie “Juno” a lot (and I LOVED Arrested Development). There was something very redeeming and moral about Juno. This “Playlist” wasn’t moral, and to be fair it wasn’t that immoral, it was just amoral. And that I think sums up the current cultural malaise in America. “Do what is right in your own eyes and accept people the way they are. Judge nothing, lest we picket you, you intolerant bigot.”
My idea? Thanks for asking. It’s a film about this older couple with say… five kids, who live in the suburbs, serving in their community, their church and each other and then aliens attack and they must join forces with the Decepticons to undo the damage done by HAL 5000 and the league of semi-ordinary gentlepeople, while at the same time fighting a vicious attack of the common cold and diaper rash.
Darn… Still no answer.
Next Random Thought: Career Crush
I’ve had this idea rummaging around in my head for years. I may develop it into a fuller article and when I’ll do I’ll link back to it here. Yup, haven’t written it yet, so here’s what I got so far.
We all have our crushes. As a married man I do my best not to have romantic crushes (though Princess Leia is still so darn hot … especially with those honey bun rolls on her head) but I have had my share of Career Crushes.
So what is a Career Crush? Well for someone like me who has no connections whatsoever (and the one I do wont answer) I often hope, daydream and pine for that one “connection” that will propel me from a nameless public school teacher to the next Robert Bolt or David Puttnam (and yes I just named one of my career crushes – I’m incorrigible). For those who aren’t writers obsessed with the movie, “The Mission”, the above mentioned persons are my British Idols (along with C.S. Lewis and Winston Churchill) and only Puttnam is still with us. He’s retired but if he were to come out of retirement I have this script…
That is my dream to be a writer and producer. And a sycophant. And I know that it will happen. (Not the sycophant… that was a joke) Someday. But the person that’s going to make it happen isn’t human… or well He is but is also something else. Divine. And I’m not just trying to butter him. I’m talking about Jesus Christ. Which may be one reason no one returns my calls (yes, I’ll drop that running joke like a telemarketer).
Which leads me to my next not so random thought: Time: Sometimes I wonder when my opportunity will come and other times I don’t think I’ll ever be ready when it does. Where I am today after teaching for eight years, raising five kids and developing my own business and scripts is nowhere near where I was eight years ago when I graduated from film school. So in some ways I feel much better prepared when the opportunity arises. But there are other days when I feel so insignificant and that I’ll never be ready.
It reminds me of this cool verse in the Bible… “He makes all things beautiful in his time.”
Which in turns reminds me of this favorite childhood song and cartoon catchphrase “have patience, have patience, don’t be in such a hurry, when you get inpatient, you only start to worry.” and “patience my little Smurflings.”
I know that the day I finally get over my Career Crush that God will open doors and move me to where He wants me to be. I guess that’s a cool thought really – that God wants to be my “connection.” Its funny how crushes disappear when confronted with the realistic choices, and even funnier when the realistic choices produce a love and fruit that lasts, while the crushes are squeezed out. What’s even funnier is that this last sentence makes sense only to me. I think I need to stop watching movies made for teens.
Novels: I’m reading the Anne Rice novel “ Road to Cana.” I’ll write more about it when I’m done. But I did want to let my mom know that I can still read. I never read her vampire novels, but it is amazing how God is using the fame and skills she gained from those novels as she writes these novels about Christ. It is a very good read… and this despite the fact that there aren’t any pictures. But I’m determined to finish the book before I go back to my junior novelizations.
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