Bountifully Dealt With

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
⁴ lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

⁵ But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

- Psalm 13

My favorite Psalm is Psalm 13. I love it because of the incredible, glorious turn it takes at the end. The first 4 verse find the Psalmist in complete despair. He feels persecuted on all sides. He feels like God has abandoned him. He feels like the world is beating him down, to the point of death. He is crying out to God in pain and despair.

And if the Psalm ended here, it would be a very depressing Psalm. But it doesn't. It doesn't end there, it goes on to verse  5, and verse 5 offers hope. In the midst of his struggles, in the midst of his pain, the Psalmist still trusts in the love of God. He trusts that God will save him, that he will not be left alone by God, even though it feels like he is sometimes. God's promises and his sovereignty can be trusted.

And if the Psalm ended here, it would offer some hope. It would be dark, but with a light at the end of the tunnel. But it doesn't end there. It goes on to verse 6, and verse 6 is glorious. The Psalmist declares that the will sing to the LORD because God HAS dealt bountifully with him. Not because God WILL deal bountifully with him, but because God HAS. Even in the midst of pain, even in the midst of persecution, God STILL is dealing bountifully with him. What a phrase! "He has dealt bountifully with me". Amazing. God hasn't just provided, he has been abundantly good to the Psalmist, even in suffering. 

There is hardship and suffering in a broken world. There is heartbreak, there is pain. Sin has devastated the world. All of us experience it, in various degrees at various times. Sometimes it seems, as the Psalmist says, like it will overwhelm us, that God has hidden his face and we have sorrow in our hearts all the day. And yet, even in these times, the mighty lord of the universe is good to us. It is not only in the good times that God provides, but in the bad times as well. In the midst of hardship, he deals bountifully with us. What a wonderful God.

Why Yes, I Am A Comics Nerd

A few years ago, at Christmas, someone in my family (I think my mom) got me a pair of Justice League pajama pants, adorned with pictures of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, etc. (and they're awesome, but that is neither here nor there). This led to my sister and I having the following exchange:

Bethany: "What's Green Lantern's power anyway?"
Me: "He's got a power ring that can make anything he can think of."
Bethany: "A power ring? Why is he called 'Green Lantern' then?"
Me: "Well, the ring has a limited power supply, so he has this lantern to recharge it. And to recharge it, he holds the ring in front of the lantern and says 'In brightest day, in darkest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might beware my power, Green Lantern's light.'"
Bethany: "..."

Yes, folks, I am a tremendous nerd. I am a nerd about many, many things, but one of those things is comic books. I love comics. I spent large quantities of my youth pretending to be a superhero of some sort or another. And its not just superhero comics I love, its the medium itself. Comics, when done well, can tell stories in a way that no other medium can.

Now, as a nerd, I'm all about introducing people to the nerdy things I love. Comics have much less of a stigma now than they did even 5-10 years ago, helped mightily by the popularity of superhero movies. Still, I'd imagine that most people reading this don't read comics. I don't blame you, it's a tough world to dive into. Much of the comics universe (much like any medium) is crappy, and especially the mainstream stuff (again, much like any medium). Not only that, but all the superhero comics have huge, elaborate continuities that are daunting to dive into. So, if you're interested in taking a chance on comics (and you should), I offer my services as a guide into that world. Mostly, I just want to talk about things I love :).

Just as a preface to my recommendations, let me say that it is pretty easy to find comics in your local library. Most libraries I've seen carry a lot of trade paperbacks (collections of individual comics into story arcs), so they're easy to get, and free, so that makes it easy for you. Anyway, on to the recommendations

Non-Superheroes

That's right, there are comics that aren't about superheroes. It's not all about capes and powers. The medium has been used in a lot of different ways, and these comics, due to the lack of huge continuities, are often better introductions to the comics world.

Bone, by Jeff Smith - If you've never read comics, I can't think of any better place to start than Bone. The best description I can give is Calvin and Hobbes mixed with Lord of the Rings. It feels like a simple cartoon in the beginning, like something you'd find in a newspaper strip. However, you soon find that there's a deeper mythology under the surface, and it unravels into an epic adventure full of humor and heart. It's easy to pick up and hard to put down, and accessible to anyone. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Sandman, by Neil Gaiman - Sandman is my all-time favorite comic series, and among the best things I've ever read in any medium. It's entirely unique, with a really spectacular premise and amazing execution. I don't know exactly how to describe it without going into great detail, but I can just tell you that it's absolutely amazing and you should give it a try. The art is gorgeous, and the 75 issue run is full of loosely connected vignettes about the power of stories and dreams. As "adult comics" go, it doesn't get any better.

Maus, by Art Spiegelman - If you want to see the uniqueness of the comics medium, Maus is a shining example. Spiegelman tells his father's story of being a Holocaust survivor, as well as the story of him hearing that story from his father. His brilliant twist is that all the people are portrayed as animals. By anthropomorphizing the people, Spiegelman is able to universalize the story and let the reader insert himself into the story and empathize. It's a brilliant, powerful comic and, oh yeah, it won the Pulitzer.

Y:The Last Man, by Brian K Vaughn - If its an epic adventure you want, Y: The Last Man is a great choice. It's a fantastic sci-fi premise: One day, inexplicably, all the men on earth die, except for one nerdy escape artist and his monkey. As with all great science fiction, Y isn't concerned with the "how?", it's concerned with the "what now?" It's a sweeping adventure, as the last male in the world makes his way across the country and tries not to get in trouble. It's really fantastic, and it sticks the landing with one of the best last issues I've ever read in a comic run.

So, there's a start for getting into non-superhero comics. These run the gamut from light (Bone) to heavy (Maus) and showcase a variety of writing and artwork styles. They're all great, and all worth your time, even if you have no interest in capes and masks.

Superheroes

Now, moving on to the world of superheroes is a little trickier. Where do you start with a character like Superman, who has nearly a century worth of backstory? Well, it's not easy, but I'll do my best to recommend some of the stronger comic runs that are largely self-contained.

Batman: Year One, by Frank Miller - This is the story that really created the modern Batman. The dark, gritty character you see in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight got his start here, in Frank Miller's comic. Miller was one of the best comics writers on the planet for about 15 years, and this is him in his prime. It's also an origin story, so it doesn't get much more self-contained. If the character of Batman interests you, this is the place to start. (also, while we're on Batman, I'll recommend The Long Halloween, another largely self-contained story that is extremely well done and features some great artwork).

Ultimate Spider-Man, by Brian Michael Bendis - Back in 2000, Marvel comics decided that their characters had way too much backstory and convoluted continuities to draw in new readers. So, they relaunched a bunch of their characters in the "Ultimate" line. They started over with them and told brand new stories with new versions of the characters, unburdened by decades of backstory. Most of these titles were not very good. However, in Ultimate Spider-Man, they found a winner. It's a modern version of Spider-Man, told from the origin on, and for the most part it's consistently great. The writer/artist combination lasted the first 110 issues of the run, which is absolutely unprecedented longevity in the comics world. That led to a comic that is consistently strong and has a great handle on its characters. It's a great gateway into superhero comics.

All-Star Superman, by Grant Morrison - All-Star Superman is one of the most fun comics you'll ever read. It's a completely self-contained take on Superman in a futuristic setting, and Morrison uses it as a canvas to tell a bunch of amazing, over-the-top stories that are just pure fun, and a complete encapsulation of what makes Superman a beloved character. Morrison's writing is often overly convoluted, but here it's simple, straightforward, and just a joyous celebration of the character. It's the best Superman story ever written, and it's completely accessible, even if you've never picked up a comic in your life.


Where Not To Start

X-Men: I love the X-Men. Growing up they were my favorite superheroes. However, they do not lend themselves well to new readers. X-Men comics have easily the most convoluted continuity of any comic franchise (which is saying something). There are a million characters, alternate timelines, aliens, and characters who come back from the dead (multiple times!). Frankly, it's a mess. There are some truly great X-Men stories out there (The Dark Phoenix Saga, Astonishing X-Men, to name a couple), but there's also a whole lot of crap, and the long, winding history can make it very frustrating to newbies.

Alan Moore - If you ever look up lists of the greatest comics of all time, you're going to see the name "Alan Moore" a lot. Specifically, you're going to see his comic Watchmen, which is almost universally praised as the greatest comic of all time. Now, don't get me wrong, Moore is terrific. He's a kind of mad, eccentric genius (and I mean that, the guy is an odd fellow) and writes comics unlike anyone else. For newer readers though, Moore's eccentricities can be off-putting. A lot of what he does is riffing off how comics are traditionally done, but that's going to go over your head if you aren't familiar with comics. Watchmen is kind of like the "Citizen Kane" of comics, in that it totally changed the way comics were written. If you want to give Moore a go, a good place to start is his series Top Ten, which presents a world in which everyone is a superhero, and is a whole lot of fun.

Love and Amendment One

I should be writing a paper right now. That's what I've been doing this afternoon, and it's what I'll be doing all night, because it is due tomorrow. However, this was on my head and my heart, and I thought it was important to write about.

This is not about whether Amendment One is right or wrong. That discussion has been had time and time again, and I can contribute nothing to it that you have not already heard. I, like most of you, know people on both sides of the issue. Not stupid people. Not ungodly people. Not bigots. I know lots of very intelligent, undeniably Godly people who stand on both sides of the issue. This is not about who is right or who is wrong. The amendment has passed, that's over with. This post is about how we respond to it.

Here is the fact of the matter: Because Amendment One passed yesterday, there is a large portion of the population who have heard the message "Christians hate homosexuals". It does not matter what your personal reasons for voting for or against the amendment were. It does not matter what the actual reason behind the amendment was. Again, I know many Godly, loving Christians who had well thought out, biblically based reasons for voting for the amendment. Doesn't matter, nobody wants to hear those reasons. Because the tone of discourse has been so polarized on both sides, the message that has been received by the vast majority on the losing side is "Christians hate homosexuals", or at very least "Christians fear homosexuals". That's the resulting message of this amendment, whether it was intended or not. A simple perusal of Facebook or Twitter will tell you that this is the case.

Where does that leave us then? The responsibility of the church, the responsibility of us as individual Christians is to prove that this is not the case. The church cannot sit back, cross its arms and say "mission accomplished". There is fallout from this which must be dealt with, work that must be done. The only way to prove that this amendment was not motivated out of fear and hate is for us to do the opposite in our lives, to love. By no means am I advocating that homosexuality is not a sin or that it should be ignored, I am saying that you should love homosexuals anyway, as God loved you, a poor and desperate sinner.

This amendment is not going to change anyone's heart. You cannot legislate people to righteousness. This issue will never be solved by laws and regulations, but only by Jesus Christ working in the hearts of sinful people. Our job, therefore, is to bring Christ to people in love. We love in order to be Christ on this earth to people who are hurting and struggling, who are bound in a sin that they can't even see. The power of the Gospel, which is a Gospel of the overwhelming and undeserved love which God has for a broken and sinful people, is the only thing that will change hearts.

This is not the end just because the vote is over with, it's just the beginning. Over the coming months and years, the church has the opportunity to prove its critics right, that we are bigots and hypocrites, or to prove them wrong, by showing that we are fueled by the great and powerful gospel and love of our Lord, and that we show his extravagant love even to, and especially to, sinful people.

Like a Donut

I listen to a lot of podcasts, and one of the more interesting ones is "WTF with Marc Maron". Maron is a stand-up comedian who interviews other comics, and is all about getting to the root of what makes people who they are. Comedians are an interesting lot, because so much of what they do is based on observation and introspection, so Maron's interviews often get to some very frank and honest discussion of what makes people tick. Yesterday, I was listening to an interview he did with hugely successful Writer/Director/Producer Judd Apatow. One part in particular stood out to me. I've transcribed it below (Also, you can listen to it here, it's the first 2:30 of segment B).

Apatow: When we were making “Funny People”, and I thought a lot about comedy and why I was obsessed with it, a lot of it was about that. Why do I need that much approval? Is there any point where I get enough approval and I’m full? And I’ve realized that there is no point. I received a letter from Steven Spielberg. Steven Speilberg, who I used to work for, for a long time at Dreamworks, was trying to reach me to say that he liked “Knocked Up”, and I so wanted a letter from him. Paul Fieg got one when we made “Freaks and Geeks”, and I was so jealous that he got a letter saying that he loved “Freaks and Geeks”. And I didn’t return the call and I told my assistant ‘can you say Judd’s out of town, and is it possible he could write a note,’ just so I could have the letter. I knew a complement was coming, and I’m so wounded, I needed to have it forever. And he sent me the dream letter, a beautiful letter with nothing but kindness. You know, a great guy, just what you want to feel whole as a person. And now I have it. But what happened afterwards is I thought to myself, “This is the best you can do.” Who else do I want to complement me? How many of these do I need to feel good about my work and myself. And how it doesn’t last, and the wound is still there.

Maron: What is the wound? Cause I know I have it. Have you figured out what it is?

Apatow: I’m not sure exactly.

Apatow's statement reminded me of something else that I saw recently. It's a "60 Minutes" interview with Tom Brady from back in 2005, fresh off winning his 3rd Super Bowl.



These are two men who, as they describe, are at the very top of their professions.

Apatow has been wildly successful making comedic movies that are both financial hits and critically acclaimed. He's largely recognized as having influenced most of the comedies of the last few years. As you read above, he got what he describes as "the dream letter" praising his work from none other than Steven Spielberg, one of the most beloved legends of film making.

Brady, at the time of this interview, is living every red-blooded American's dream. He is the best player at the most important position in America's favorite sport. He has won the highest honor in football 3 times in 4 years. He is called "the most eligible bachelor in America". The guy is rich, famous, successful, handsome, and he's dating a Brazilian supermodel. Seriously, if life is a game, he's winning by a LOT.

Both of these men have gotten everything this world has to offer in their particular fields. They're successful now, and they've left a legacy behind, they'll be remembered when they're gone. They've done it, they've reached the goal. And yet, there's something missing. Apatow calls it "the wound". Despite the fact that he's gotten the greatest praise from his greatest idol, it doesn't last. It doesn't fill up that desire for love and recognition and affirmation. Brady reached the pinnacle of the American dream. He climbed the mountain, got to the top, and said "There's gotta be more than this." When faced with the question of "What is that thing you're missing?" though, neither man has an answer.

C.S. Lewis famously wrote "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." Lewis has an answer for Judd Apatow and Tom Brady. They're searching for something in this world that will fulfill them, that will complete them, and they haven't found it because they're looking in the wrong place. The solution to our longing isn't found in the things of this world, in accomplishments and accolades, it's found in Jesus Christ. There is nothing in the world that will fill that hole, because nothing in this world was made to fit that hole.

When Jesus said "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" he wasn't just talking about the afterlife. You can gain the whole world and still not be fulfilled IN THIS LIFETIME. It's not just that you can't take it to heaven, it's that a life full of worldly accomplishments isn't going to satiate us even while we're still alive. That's why Augustine said "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you." It's why, despite the hardships and persecution which comes from the Christian life, Christ can say "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

Judd Apatow and Tom Brady have everything this world can offer, but they do not have abundant, fulfilled lives. There is only one way to mend "the wound", and it isn't the approval of peers or the body of a supermodel, it's the love of our savior.

Now, you could've read all that, or, for the same message, you could have skipped down to watch this video from my childhood:

My Year in Film: Part 3 - My Top 10 Movies

Wrapping it all up, here's my list of the top ten favorite movies that I saw this year. As with parts 1 and 2, here is the list of movies I saw this year.

The Best Movies I Saw This Year

I saw a lot of movies this year, and this is an attempt to list my top ten. It slants a bit towards films I've seen more recently, and it could be different tomorrow, but here it is today.

Honorable Mention: Tintin, X-Men: First Class, Horrible Bosses, Death to Smoochy, Goodfellas, Dear Zachary, Black Snake Moan, Network

10) Tucker and Dale vs Evil: I just had to watch this when it popped up on Netflix Instant. It's gotten a lot of buzz from the film geek community, and it's got Alan Tudyk. How could I resist that? It's a great premise, turning the slasher genre on its ear and milking it for tons of laughs. Tudyk and Tyler Labine have tremendous chemistry, and even though the film doesn't quite stick the landing, the two leads at the movie's heart keep it consistently hilarious.
9) Dark City: I've cooled on Dark City a bit since I first saw it. On the first viewing, I was blown away by how well structured the film was, how the puzzle gradually unravels until what seemed so strange at the start is completely clear. I still enjoy it a lot, but it didn't hold up quite as well after a few rewatches. There are parts that feel really dated, particularly the big fight scene. The Strangers are pretty great though, and plenty of the movie works well enough to be a favorite.
8) Attack the Block: Such an awesome little movie. The design of the aliens is really clever, and is a good way to work around the low budget. They're iconic and terrifying. The movie takes the kids seriously, it lets them be jerks and it lets them get killed. It also lets them be complete action heroes too, particularly John Boyega as Moses. The accents are a bit tough to adjust to, but you really should check it out. It's a slick, funny action film that feels completely unique.
7) Before Sunrise/Before Sunset: It doesn't feel right to consider these movies separately. They're just such a perfect pairing. Before Sunrise is the perfect film for the hopeless romantic, whereas Before Sunset finds the two leads having realized that youthful romance doesn't last forever. The movies form a pair of perfectly realized moments that feel completely authentic. Delphy and Hawke are quietly fantastic. These are small movies told not in broad, big strokes, but in the small moments, and the two leads excel in those moments.
6) How to Train Your Dragon: There's a sheer joy to this movie that is infectious. I think this is the first Dreamworks movie I've liked better than the Pixar movie of the same year (Toy Story 3). The animation of Toothless is really great, it's a very emotive character that you end up falling in love with. Love everything about this. It's got heart, humor, and the guts to have some consequences for the characters. One of my favorite animated movies.
5) Carrie: Surprised by how much I loved it. It's very much a spiritual predecessor to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which you all know I like a little bit :). The entire sequence leading up to the pig blood scene is equal parts moving and heart-breaking. You see Carrie's joy at standing up to her mother and coming out of her shell, but you also know what's coming, and the build up is excruciating. It's a really great high school drama which then just happens to turn into a crazy supernatural horror movie at the end.
4) Young Adult: I haven't been a huge fan of Charlize Theron until this film. She gives a fearless performance as a thoroughly unlikeable character. I love the guts that the movie has, making Mavis completely unredeemable. It's a great character piece, but it's also hilarious. It's filled with laugh out loud moments, and small touches (chugging Diet Coke, watching the Kardashians, etc.) that make it consistently funny. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending until I see it again, but I really loved the movie as a whole.
3) The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters: I listed Black Snake Moan as my most pleasant surprise of the year, but this one could have easily taken that spot. It sounds ridiculous: a documentary about a guy who sets the world record in Donkey Kong. How could that possibly be interesting? Every time I tell people how great this movie is, I get that "really?!?" stare. It is a great movie though. I've watched it more times than any other movie this year, and everyone I've shown it to has enjoyed it. The filmmakers stumbled into a fascinating world of competitive gaming, and they found a fantastic villain in Billy Mitchell. Really, you should check it out, you won't regret it.
2) Drive: Strangely compelling. That's the best description I can give of Drive. There are long stretches where not a lot happens, and there isn't much dialogue, but I never lost interest, it had me from the word go. It has such a unique visual aesthetic and kinetic soundtrack that it's constantly interesting. Ryan Gosling does a tremendous job without saying much of anything. He's believable as the quiet, sensitive guy wooing Carey Mulligan, but he's also believable as the stone-cold badass who efficiently and ruthlessly takes care of business. Stylish, entertaining, and unlike anything I've ever seen before.
1) Inglorious Basterds: I really enjoyed it the first time I saw it, but I LOVED it the second time. What I'd forgotten is just how crazy funny it is. Brad Pitt is hilarious, but Cristoph Waltz steals the show with his ability to be both scary and ridiculously funny ("That's a Bingo!"). The movie is just a constant parade of fantastic scenes and great performances. In addition to Pitt and Waltz, there's the always great Michael Fassbender and a truly fantastic turn by Melanie Laurent. Just wall-to-wall greatness.

My Year in Film: Part 2 - Assorted Awards

Continuing from yesterday's post, I'm detailing my year in watching movies. Yesterday, I listed my favorite scenes from movies I watched this year. In this post, I'm going to list some other random superlatives, as well as the 5 worst movies I watched this year. As with yesterday's post, these all come from the list of movies that I watched for the first time this year, which can be found here.

Most Disappointing Movie

Punch Drunk Love - Just to be clear, Punch Drunk Love is not a bad movie. There are a handful of really great scenes and stunning visuals, but it doesn't connect as a whole. I'd heard great things about it, and I really liked Hard Eight, the other movie I watched this year from Paul Thomas Anderson. I'd heard it compared to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, since they're both quirky romances from auteur directors starring zany comedic actors in dramatic roles. Eternal Sunshine is my favorite movie of all time, and this just didn't come anywhere close to it. It's so heightened and surreal that I just couldn't get invested in the characters, there's nothing real to ground the film. It's not bad, but I was expecting greatness instead of interesting, loosely connected scenes.

Most Pleasant Surprise

Black Snake Moan - Who knew that a movie about a sex addict, a soldier stricken by panic attacks and a recently divorced man could end up being so joyful? It's not fun, fun, fun all the time certainly, but Craig Brewer keeps the movie from getting bogged down in some pretty dark material. So, rather than being a dreary slog, we get a vibrant movie steeped in Southern culture that finds answers to sin and struggles in faith and commitment. Christina Ricci gives a fearless performance of incredible physicality that was one of the best I saw all year.

Best Performance

Michael Fassbender: X-Men:First Class, Hunger, Inglorious Basterds - I cheated a little bit on this one, picking Fassbender for his whole body of work I saw this year. I went from having never seen a Fassbender movie to considering him one of my favorite actors working today. You could hardly find 3 more different roles than the ones above, but he crushes all of them. In particular, his performance as Magneto in X-Men totally carries the film. It's a hard thing to follow Ian McKellen, but Fassbender totally nails the passion and intensity at the heart of the character. Fassbender's career is exploding right now, so get on the bandwagon now.

Honorable Mentions: Ryan Gosling (Drive), Christophe Waltz (Inglorious Basterds), Saorise Ronan (Hanna), Sissy Spacek (Carrie), Christina Ricci (Black Snake Moan)

Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2012

Looper - Two of my personal favorite movies are Brick and The Brothers Bloom, both by director Rian Johnson. Looper is Johnson's next effort, about a time traveling hitman. It features a fantastic cast (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt and Jeff Daniels), and Shane Carruth (Primer) consulted on the film. I couldn't be any more excited about this.

The Avengers - It's a freaking live-action, big budget AVENGERS MOVIE!!! That alone would be enough to warm a young nerd's heart, but add the fact that it's directed by Joss Whedon? Sign me up for that right now.

The Dark Knight Rises - I don't really need to explain this one, do I?

The Hobbit - Ditto.

Prometheus - Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) returns to sci-fi with this prequel(?) to Alien. I wasn't completely sold until the amazing trailer came out last month. The cast includes Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba and Guy Pierce. Oh yeah, it's also got that Fassbender fellow, who I kind of like.

5 Worst Movies I Saw This Year

5. Wonder Boys - I saw this on Netflix Instant and was so excited about it. Robert Downey Jr., Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand, Tobey McGuire, how could it not be good? Lots of actors I like, all in service of a really crappy movie. Unfunny, overwrought, and full of completely unlikeable characters. Ugh. There are apparently a lot of people that really like this, but I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why.

4. Push - The worst thing about Push is that it could be good. The world it creates is interesting, and I thought Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning did a good job in their parts. The story is just so dull though. If only this idea had been given to a stronger writer, or a director who could have injected some energy into the proceedings. Instead, it's just dull and stupid. A waste of good worldbuilding.

3. Freejack - This movie features Mick Jagger in a prominent role. He is exactly as good an actor as you would expect. Campy, nonsensical and all-around terrible. Its saving grace is that it's so bad it occasionally circles around and becomes watchable again. It's not bad enough to be a "so bad it's good" fixture though, mostly it's just awful.

2. Chaos Theory - Look, Ryan Reynolds is not a great actor. He's not a movie star who can single-handedly carry summer blockbusters. He is, however, an incredibly charismatic individual who can be charming and affable in even the worst movies. The worst movies, at least, other than this one. In addition to being dull, bland and dumb, the movie manages to make Reynolds boring and unlikeable. Ugh.

1. Killers - You know, Mr and Mrs Smith isn't a great movie. It's a decent film, but the reason it's so fun and watchable is because Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have CRAZY good chemistry. I mean, you watch that movie, and they just burn up the screen together. It takes an ok movie and makes it super-entertaining. Well, Killers is like that, only the complete opposite.

If you missed it, check out Part 1 of My Year in Film, and check back in later for Part 3

My Year in Film: Part 1 - The Best Scenes

As I posted last year, I've become a big movie geek in the past few years. As I wrote about in my last post, Netflix Instant Watch has provided easy access to tons of films, so this year I managed to see 103 movies that I hadn't seen before. This year, I kept a pretty accurate list (I may have missed 1 or 2) and wrote a little synopsis for each one. If you want to check that out, you can see it here.

I like to write about movies, so "My Year in Film" is going to come in three parts. This post is about the best scenes I saw in movies this year, so be prepared for a lot of embedded videos. Also, there's a little language and a little violence in some of these scenes, so consider yourself warned. With that said, here, in no particular order, are my 10 favorite scenes from that list of movies that I saw for the first time this year.

My Favorite Scenes From 2011

The Michael Caine-Off - The Trip: Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan play characters who are essentially themselves in this little road trip movie. The highlights of the film are when the two gifted impressionists show off their dueling impressions. Of those contests, the best is when they take on the oft-imitated Michael Caine.



The Bar Shootout - Inglorious Basterds: Our first entry from the "Michael Fassbender is Awesome" category, this scene is one of several I could have pulled from Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece. After being outed as a British spy, Fassbender switches from imitating a German officer to being very, very British. He then, in the face of death, calmly downs his scotch before the entire bar explodes in gunfire.

(from 3:35- 4:50)


Calculating Troops - In the Loop: The hilarious British political satire is at its best in this scene, where James Gandolfini, playing a US general, calculates troop numbers on a kiddie computer. It's a small joke, but it totally had me in stitches the first time I watched it.



The Restaurant Scene - Goodfellas: It's one of the more famous shots in cinema history. Scorsese is the master of the long tracking shot, and this is the foremost example of that. The camera follows Henry and Karen as they enter the restaurant through the backdoor, and in one unbroken, three minute take, we get a firsthand look at the privileges Henry's life affords him. Beautiful to watch and technically incredible. The best quality version on YouTube won't embed, so here's the link to it.

The Dance of the Black Swan - Black Swan: Even if you don't enjoy his movies, one can't deny that Darren Aronofsky is, if nothing else, a brilliant visual artist. His films feature some of the most striking and beautiful images I've ever seen. Here, Aronofsky shows Natalie Portman's Nina embracing her dark, passionate side by literally having her become the black swan. The mix of dancing and seamless technological wizardry results in a sequence that is both disturbing and beautiful (also, the sound design is excellent, as it is throughout the movie).

(2:50-5:00)


Dialogue with the Priest - Hunger: The majority of Hunger is without dialogue. It's a stark piece of visual storytelling that is deeply unsettling. In the middle of it, though, is a 20 minute dialogue between Fassbender's Bobby Sands and his priest. The dialogue is sharp, funny at parts, but gradually growing more and more intense. It doesn't just set up the second half of the movie, it tells you who this character is, and why he's willing to go through such hell.

(Part 1 is embedded here, click for parts 2 and 3)


Expectations vs Reality - (500) Days of Summer: For the most part, (500) Days of Summer is an ok movie that coasts on the charisma of its star (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). In this scene, though, the film does something extremely clever, but (and this is important) not simply clever for the sake of being clever. JGL's character goes to a party thrown by the girl he can't get over (Zooey Deschanel). The scene plays out in split-screen, one side showing his expectations of what would happen while the other show what is really happening. It's something I think everyone can relate to (I know I certainly can), and provides a powerful emotional moment in the middle of an otherwise forgettable film.



The Elevator Scene - Drive: Perhaps no scene on this list better captures the essence of the entire film better than this one. Drive is a strange movie, telling its story more with visual style and music than it does with dialogue. It's about the slow-burn romance between Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, but is filled short bursts of hyper-violence. The elevator scene encapsulates all of that. Wordlessly, it couples one of the most intense romantic moments of the year with on of the most violent moments of the year.



Composing the Requiem - Amadeus: In this scene from the end of the film, Salieri must help his rival, the ailing Mozart, compose his final requiem. As they do so, we hear the music that the men are hearing in their minds, the beautiful sound of Mozart's final piece. In this scene, we see the difference between the two composers clearly. Salieri clearly has a brilliant musical mind, with the talent to follow along as Mozart explains the music to him. He is not, however, the genius that Mozart is. He has the curse of being able to recognize true greatness, but being unable to create it himself.




Magneto the Nazi Hunter - X-Men:First Class: And here we have our third appearance from the acting powerhouse that is Michael Fassbender. This scene made me wish we'd gotten a whole movie of Fassbender's Magneto traveling the world hunting Nazis. Seriously, if you didn't know who he was before, you should start paying attention to Fassbender. The guy can do anything, and he's quickly becoming my favorite actor.



So, there you have it. Those are ten of my favorite scenes from movies that I saw for the first time this year. Obviously, because it isn't limited to 2011 movies, it's a bit of a strange list, but there it is. Check back later for parts 2 and 3, where I'll be listing my favorite and least favorite films I saw, as well as some other superlatives.