Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
I have a little devotional today, based on a new TV show that I have begun to really get into.
Those who know me well know that I for the most part have a deep hatred of reality television. It's stupid, it's exploitative, it's often unoriginal, it often blatantly encourages the worst in people (Check out any of MTV's reality shows and you'll see what I mean), plus back in 2002, 'Firefly' (aka one of the best sci- fi shows ever made) was cancelled midseason to make room for the despicable reality series 'Joe Millionaire.'
However, over the last few weeks, I have gotten really into a certain new reality show airing on Syfy, called 'Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge.'
For those who are unfamiliar with it, the late, great Jim Henson (Best known as the creator of the Muppets and Sesame Street) had I believe two major workshops/ design companies he owned and used: His Muppet workshop of course, and another called Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The Creature Shop specialized in odd, fantastical animatronic creature effects for fantasy and science fiction movies and TV shows. Some of the movies that they made creatures for include the classic films 'The Dark Crystal' and 'Labyrinth,' the first two 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' movies, and the 'Where the Wild Things Are' movie, among others. Some of its TV credits include the early- 90s prehistoric sitcom 'Dinosaurs,' the fantasy anthology series 'The Storyteller,' and the renowned sci- fi series 'Farscape.' All manner of strange creatures which defied imagination were brought to life by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
Anyway, with 'Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge,' 10 amateur creature- effects artists are competing for a shot at a permanent job working at Jim Henson's Creature Shop. In each episode, the contestants are given an assignment for a certain type of creature to create (In past episodes, some of the types of creatures they have been asked to make have included strange undersea creatures, creatures made out of junk from a scrap yard, and the heads of fantasy beasts mounted on a wall which come alive, among others), usually in groups, within a certain time limit. Then, when the time's up, they present their creations in a screen test in which a panel of judges who are experts in the field of creature- effects design (Including Brian Henson, son of Jim Henson and CEO of pretty much everything Henson- related) look at what's been made, and critique it. The judges decide among themselves who did the best job and is thus the winner of the competition, and the person who they decide was the least successful, in turn, is eliminated from the show and sent home. In the last episode, the final winner will be made a permanent, full- time member of the staff on Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
I consider this a very fun show to watch. I've always loved the work that Jim Henson's Creature Shop has done for movies and TV, so a show spotlighting that of course attracts my interest. It provides a quite fascinating inside look at what kinds of processes can go into making some of the wonderful creature effects seen in movies and TV shows. We see the techniques they use and the struggles they go through, everything from wondering how to pull a look off, to worrying about an animatronic feature on their creation malfunctioning, to arguing with team members on group projects. Then, of course, the screen tests in which the contestants show off their finished products for the judges are always fun. Plus, for the most part, I find myself agreeing with Brian Henson and the other judges on their critiques, who wins, and who goes home each week.
All of this leads me to the themes of this devotional. One of the neat aspects of 'Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge' is, during the screen tests, seeing the delight and excitement on the contestants' faces as their creations, things they made with their own hands from foam, metal, electronic components, etc., come to life before the judges. I realized that this, nice though it is, cannot compare to the joy and delight that God must have experienced when He created each and every one of us. Unlike the contestants, who often are not able to make their creations as fine- tuned as they had hoped due to time constraints and not having the right materials, God made us exactly how He wanted us, to fulfill specific roles He established just for us. Psalm 139:14 says that we are all "Fearfully and wonderfully made" by our Lord, and I know that to be true.
I can think of a couple other similarities, too, involving Jesus and certain episodes. Like the contestants in the 'Scrap yard' episode, Christ can take all the junk and discarded stuff in our lives, and rebuild us into something beautiful. Like the contestants in the 'Heads on a wall' episode, He can take what was once dead and give us new life in Him.
We are God's greatest, most beloved creations, and He loved us enough that He sent His Son to Earth to die for us so that we might be reconciled to Him.
'Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge' is airing new episodes on Syfy at 9:00 pm on Tuesdays, and it is currently rather regularly running marathons of all the episodes that have been aired so far, so it shouldn't be hard to get caught up.
That's all for this edition of The Nightcrawler Experience. Another installment should be coming soon. Until then, take care and God bless!
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
God is always faithful- My thoughts/ experiences on Megacon 2014
Hello everyone, welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
I have a report and a devotional for you guys today, relating to my experiences at the Megacon comic convention I went to a week ago.
Like with most of the comic book conventions I've been to in the past, I had a lot of fun there. I went there with my friends Jon and Andrew, and other than Jon being annoyed at how long he waited to get Stan Lee's autograph, they both had a good time, too. Earlier that morning, Jon and I started what I think will likely become a new tradition for our get- togethers: A morning Bible study. Considering that we first met and became friends through a Christian club on our college campus, it seems right that we should "Get back to our roots," so to speak, and spend at least some of our time together learning more about God.
A couple notable media guests at Megacon that I met and got the autographs of were Allison Mack (Who played the intrepid Chloe Sullivan on the TV show 'Smallville') and Rob Paulsen (Voice actor extraordinaire, playing such roles as Yakko Warner on 'Animaniacs,' Pinky on 'Pinky and the Brain,' and Carl on 'Jimmy Neutron'; I got him to do a little of his Yakko voice when I met him). It was seriously crowded, especially as the day wore on, and due to my size, I would often have to act as a kind of "Human bulldozer," clearing a path through the crowds for my friends to get through.
I got the autographs of plenty of comic book writers and artists, as well. One of them, artist/ writer David Finch, took an insanely long time, because so many of the people in line ahead of me wanted him to do sketches for them (Which has long been a pet peeve of mine at conventions, due to how much it can slow down the lines), and he was particularly painstaking about each one he did. Fortunately, the guy ahead of me in line was kind enough to hold my place in line while I went off and did some other things. I was able to get a free Captain America pin, which is now proudly attached to my travel backpack, and a couple other small souvenirs, though I didn't buy a whole lot of things there. When I go to comic conventions, I'm usually more concerned with getting the things I already own signed by the writers and artists who worked on them than I am about getting new things for my collection.
However, there were some disappointments associated with Megacon as well. One of the guests I had really been looking forward to meeting, cult movie actor Ron Perlman (Known for playing, among other roles, the titular superhero in the 'Hellboy' films, the villainous Slade in the animated TV show 'Teen Titans,' and the brutish Stabbington Brothers in Disney's 'Tangled'), abruptly cancelled his appearance at Megacon due to a scheduling conflict less than 10 days before the convention started. Then, as if that weren't enough, a comic guest that I had SERIOUSLY been excited about meeting, Mark Waid (Comic book writer who created 'Irredeemable' and 'Incorruptible,' the latter of which I'm a big fan of), cancelled his appearance at literally the last minute, less that 24 hours before the convention started! According to a convention employee, the previous day, Megacon staff were frantically looking for Waid for quite a while before hearing from one of their contacts that he had cancelled. I had a lot of things I wanted to have him sign, so to say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
From this, though, I was reminded of an important truth about God and mankind: While men can disappoint us and let us down the way Perlman and Waid did by cancelling on such short notice, God is always faithful, and will never let us down. This is why we as Christians are to put our faith and trust in the Lord, rather than trusting simply in our own devices or those of other people. People, even good people who are well- intentioned, are fallible and can occasionally do things that aren't right. It's why in 1 Samuel 8:4- 22, God used Samuel to try and warn the Israelites not to appoint a king over themselves, because He knew that their giving that much unchecked power over them to a fellow fallible human simply because they wanted to be like other nations was a bad idea. Instead, we should keep our trust in God, as He will always be with us and seek our good. Psalm 33:4 says that "For the word of the Lord is right and true: He is faithful in all He does." God is always there for us out of His incredible love for us.
And so, that's my experience at Megacon 2014. While it wasn't all that it could have been, I still had a great time, as did my friends, and Andrew has already talked about the possibility of us doing it again next year!
That's all for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. I should have another entry up soon! See you then, and God bless!
I have a report and a devotional for you guys today, relating to my experiences at the Megacon comic convention I went to a week ago.
Like with most of the comic book conventions I've been to in the past, I had a lot of fun there. I went there with my friends Jon and Andrew, and other than Jon being annoyed at how long he waited to get Stan Lee's autograph, they both had a good time, too. Earlier that morning, Jon and I started what I think will likely become a new tradition for our get- togethers: A morning Bible study. Considering that we first met and became friends through a Christian club on our college campus, it seems right that we should "Get back to our roots," so to speak, and spend at least some of our time together learning more about God.
A couple notable media guests at Megacon that I met and got the autographs of were Allison Mack (Who played the intrepid Chloe Sullivan on the TV show 'Smallville') and Rob Paulsen (Voice actor extraordinaire, playing such roles as Yakko Warner on 'Animaniacs,' Pinky on 'Pinky and the Brain,' and Carl on 'Jimmy Neutron'; I got him to do a little of his Yakko voice when I met him). It was seriously crowded, especially as the day wore on, and due to my size, I would often have to act as a kind of "Human bulldozer," clearing a path through the crowds for my friends to get through.
I got the autographs of plenty of comic book writers and artists, as well. One of them, artist/ writer David Finch, took an insanely long time, because so many of the people in line ahead of me wanted him to do sketches for them (Which has long been a pet peeve of mine at conventions, due to how much it can slow down the lines), and he was particularly painstaking about each one he did. Fortunately, the guy ahead of me in line was kind enough to hold my place in line while I went off and did some other things. I was able to get a free Captain America pin, which is now proudly attached to my travel backpack, and a couple other small souvenirs, though I didn't buy a whole lot of things there. When I go to comic conventions, I'm usually more concerned with getting the things I already own signed by the writers and artists who worked on them than I am about getting new things for my collection.
However, there were some disappointments associated with Megacon as well. One of the guests I had really been looking forward to meeting, cult movie actor Ron Perlman (Known for playing, among other roles, the titular superhero in the 'Hellboy' films, the villainous Slade in the animated TV show 'Teen Titans,' and the brutish Stabbington Brothers in Disney's 'Tangled'), abruptly cancelled his appearance at Megacon due to a scheduling conflict less than 10 days before the convention started. Then, as if that weren't enough, a comic guest that I had SERIOUSLY been excited about meeting, Mark Waid (Comic book writer who created 'Irredeemable' and 'Incorruptible,' the latter of which I'm a big fan of), cancelled his appearance at literally the last minute, less that 24 hours before the convention started! According to a convention employee, the previous day, Megacon staff were frantically looking for Waid for quite a while before hearing from one of their contacts that he had cancelled. I had a lot of things I wanted to have him sign, so to say I was disappointed would be an understatement.
From this, though, I was reminded of an important truth about God and mankind: While men can disappoint us and let us down the way Perlman and Waid did by cancelling on such short notice, God is always faithful, and will never let us down. This is why we as Christians are to put our faith and trust in the Lord, rather than trusting simply in our own devices or those of other people. People, even good people who are well- intentioned, are fallible and can occasionally do things that aren't right. It's why in 1 Samuel 8:4- 22, God used Samuel to try and warn the Israelites not to appoint a king over themselves, because He knew that their giving that much unchecked power over them to a fellow fallible human simply because they wanted to be like other nations was a bad idea. Instead, we should keep our trust in God, as He will always be with us and seek our good. Psalm 33:4 says that "For the word of the Lord is right and true: He is faithful in all He does." God is always there for us out of His incredible love for us.
And so, that's my experience at Megacon 2014. While it wasn't all that it could have been, I still had a great time, as did my friends, and Andrew has already talked about the possibility of us doing it again next year!
That's all for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. I should have another entry up soon! See you then, and God bless!
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Faithful in the small things; Remembering Mimi.
Hi everyone, welcome to another edition of the Nightcrawler
Experience!
Sorry it’s been so long since my last entry, I’ve been
extremely busy. I’ve got a couple ideas for future entries which should be
coming out in the next few weeks.
This particular devotional is on a very somber note. My grandmother, Dorothy “Mimi” Lind, passed away this last Saturday morning at the age of 92. I’ll miss her so much, but I have no doubt that she is with Jesus at this moment. If she didn’t hear “Well done, good and faithful servant,” then no one will. This devotional entry is dedicated to her.
This particular devotional is on a very somber note. My grandmother, Dorothy “Mimi” Lind, passed away this last Saturday morning at the age of 92. I’ll miss her so much, but I have no doubt that she is with Jesus at this moment. If she didn’t hear “Well done, good and faithful servant,” then no one will. This devotional entry is dedicated to her.
One of Mimi’s
last requests was for me to give the eulogy at her funeral. While I will not be
relying on my gift for combining faith and pop culture there, considering what
a serious occasion it is, I do have an observation in that regard that I will
share here so it doesn’t go to waste.
Shortly
after I heard of her passing, there was one movie scene which I kept thinking
of, from the film ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.’ For those unfamiliar
with the story, there is a group of Dwarves who are planning to set out on a
quest to reclaim their ancestral home and the treasures therein from an evil
dragon who usurped it from them many years earlier. They seek out the help of
the incredibly powerful wizard Gandalf to aid in their quest, and he in turn
enlists a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is one of the last people you’d
think would be chosen for a mission like this; He’s not a warrior or an
adventurer, he’s generally content to just stay in his home and live
comfortably. However, he has a good heart, and soon finds his courage over the
course of the journey.
Anyway,
about halfway through the film, there is a scene in which Gandalf meets with
several other very powerful figures in that world. One of them asks him why he
chose Bilbo for the mission, and Gandalf’s response is one I’ll never forget: “I
do not know. Saruman (Another very powerful wizard) believes that it is only
great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I’ve
found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the
darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps
it is because I am afraid, and he gives me courage.”
I thought
of this because “Simple acts of kindness and love” were what Mimi was known
for. She was always kind and caring, always lending a hand in ordinary ways to
help those who were in need. From letting my family and I stay with her the
night when we were on our way to Canada, to preparing whatever we wanted for
breakfast the next morning, and countless other ways of showing how deeply she
cared for other people. She refused to let her age stop her from living her
life to the fullest and being a servant to others.
This is what the Lord called us to
do, as our own way of letting His light shine to the world. We don’t have to do
large and grandiose things to impress Him and help change the world; Just
demonstrating simple kindness and goodness in His name towards others and
setting a good example in that regard are what He has called us to. Matthew 25:23
has the Master in Jesus’ parable of the servants and the talents telling his faithful
servant that “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in
charge of many things.” Through proving to the Lord that we can do well in
small, everyday things, He will often entrust us with larger and more important
tasks, and give us greater rewards in Heaven. A lot of regular people helping each
other through simple deeds of kindness and righteousness can indeed help change
the world, though they may not know it at the time.
That’s all I have to say at the
moment. Rest in peace, Mimi, you’ve earned it a hundred times over.
I’ll talk to you guys again soon, I
promise. In the meantime, God bless you all!
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Cold Hands, Warm Heart, Magnificent Movie. My review of Disney's 'Frozen.'
Hello, everyone!
For my first movie review on the Nightcrawler Experience, I shall be taking a look at the most recent Disney film, 'Frozen.' Loosely based on the old Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale 'The Snow Queen,' it was a movie that Disney had been wanting to make for a very long time, but it kept getting shelved until now.
The plot concerns two princess sisters, the elder is named Elsa and the younger Anna. As kids, they are extremely close, until one day when Elsa's hidden power- magical control over ice and snow- manifests itself. She accidentally injures her sister, and afterwards, her parents insist that to keep anyone else from being hurt, the castle must be totally closed off from the outside world, and Elsa must remain in her room. Her relationship with Anna (Whose memory of Elsa's powers was wiped away for the same reason) becomes extremely strained and distant as a result.
Eventually, the girls' parents both die (I'm not really giving anything away by pointing this out; It happens quite early on in the movie, and about the only movie profession with a higher mortality rate than "Disney parent" is "Stormtrooper in Star Wars"), and when Elsa is of age, the time has come for her to become the new queen of their kingdom, Arendelle. They finally open the castle again to outsiders for the coronation ceremony. Anna (Voice of Kristen Bell) is overjoyed to be able to see other people again, while Elsa (Voice of Idina Menzel) is just hoping she can keep her power hidden and not mess things up. Among the guests who arrive for the ceremony are the pompous Duke of Weselton (Voice of Alan Tudyk) and the charming Prince Hans (Voice of Santino Fontana), who hits it off with Anna almost instantly. In the post- coronation ball, however, an argument develops between the sisters, resulting in Elsa's powers going off the charts and plunging the entire kingdom into an intense winter. Everyone views Elsa as a monster upon learning what she can do, and she flees into the secluded mountains, where she builds her own ice castle to live.
As the blizzard in Arendelle worsens, Anna decides to set off after her sister to calm her down and get her to end the blizzard before everyone freezes to death. Along the way, she gets help from a kind young mountain man named Kristoff (Voice of Jonathan Groff), his doglike pet reindeer Sven, and a friendly living snowman named Olaf (Voice of Josh Gad) brought to life by Elsa's power, who wants to help end the winter so he can experience what summer is like (He's never experienced heat before, and thus is blissfully ignorant of what kind of effect summer would have on a snowman). Together, they must try to save Elsa, their kingdom, and their very lives.
Literally the only problem I have with 'Frozen' (When I review movies, I tend to talk about what I disliked about them first, so as to get that out of the way as soon as I can) is that, while most of the songs in it are absolutely wonderful (More on that in a little bit), there's a song called 'Fixer- Upper' a little later on in the film that I think is rather forgettable. It has some funny lines, but it doesn't fit with the rest of the soundtrack.
Other than that, I absolutely loved 'Frozen'! The story was great, the plot twists worked perfectly, the visuals for the various freezing effects and the frozen landscapes all looked awesome, all of the characters were a lot of fun to watch and perfectly cast, and the songs were beautiful. It really feels like it belongs with the Disney Renaissance films like 'The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast."
The characters really make this story what it is. Anna makes for a great heroine; Funny, brave, optimistic, and driven by love (For her sister, for Hans, and for her new friends) in everything she does. Kristen Bell's naturally cheery- sounding voice fits her like a glove. I'd say she's definitely joined the ranks of such memorable Disney heroines as Belle and Mulan. In a lesser movie, Elsa would have been made the straight- up villain of the story; Instead, she's shown to be immensely sympathetic, having to deal with her fears and regrets while letting go of her shame for who she is. You can easily see where each sister is coming from with the choices they make. Olaf the snowman proved to be a VERY pleasant surprise for me; Going into the movie, I was seriously afraid he would turn out to be annoying. Instead, he ended up being cute, sweetly- naive, and very likable. I ended up almost regretting that we didn't get to see MORE of him in the movie! Kristoff the mountain man was a neat character too. He's crude at times, but friendly and warm- hearted as well. His interactions with his reindeer Sven are so funny that you'll have to see them for yourself, because I don't want to give anything away.
For a Disney film, 'Frozen' had a ton of great action sequences. Some of the perils we see our heroes encountering in it include being chased by a pack of wolves, accosted by a menacing snow giant, and racing against time to save a character from being permanently frozen in ice. It makes for a lot of quite thrilling scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seats.
The songs, other than 'Fixer- Upper,' are all amazing. My favorite is undoubtedly Elsa's song 'Let it Go,' which she sings as she leaves the kingdom and accepts who she is, refusing to hide her true self anymore. It's a gorgeous power ballad, made particularly good by both Idina Menzel's knockout voice (I can see why she's currently one of the most respected women on Broadway), and the amazing visuals of Elsa using her powers to build her snow palace and an icy gown for herself. A couple other musical highlights are 'For the First Time in Forever' (Sung by Anna and Elsa as they each prepare for the castle to be opened to outsiders again), and 'Love is an Open Door' (A pop duet between Anna and Hans which has a great 'Best first date ever' feel to it).
'Frozen' has plenty of good theological messages to it, as well. One of the main messages of the film is that fear can be overcome through love. This brings to mind 1 John 4:18, which tells of how perfect love can cast out fear. We see sacrificial love demonstrated in the film through how several characters are willing to lay down their lives and their own interests to help others in need, a point hit upon in Bible verses such as John 15:13 (My favorite Bible verse) and Philippians 2:3-4. Another message in 'Frozen' is on the importance of discernment, being careful who you trust. Near the film's climax, a surprise villain emerges, someone who up to that point had come across as being harmless and trustworthy but ends up being rotten to the core. Scripture is littered with warnings about watching out for people who seem okay on the surface but can have evil intentions, such as Matthew 7:15, 1 John 4:1, and 2 Corinthians 11:13- 15.
Another bonus to 'Frozen' is that it opens with a fantastic new Mickey Mouse short called "Get a Horse!". This innovative short is a cross between an old- school black and white Mickey Mouse cartoon and a modern CGI cartoon which it pulls off perfectly. It's funny (I remember hearing the innumerable kids in the audience laughing loudly at various points in it), inventive, and just a blast to watch.
And so, that's 'Frozen.' An absolutely wonderful film and a great addition to Disney's lineup which you should all see ASAP. At next year's Oscars, it's pretty much a shoo- in to win Best Animated Feature, Best Original Song for 'Let it Go,' and Best Animated Short for 'Get a Horse!'. I wouldn't be surprised if it was nominated for Best Picture.
That's all for now. I'll talk to you guys again soon!
For my first movie review on the Nightcrawler Experience, I shall be taking a look at the most recent Disney film, 'Frozen.' Loosely based on the old Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale 'The Snow Queen,' it was a movie that Disney had been wanting to make for a very long time, but it kept getting shelved until now.
The plot concerns two princess sisters, the elder is named Elsa and the younger Anna. As kids, they are extremely close, until one day when Elsa's hidden power- magical control over ice and snow- manifests itself. She accidentally injures her sister, and afterwards, her parents insist that to keep anyone else from being hurt, the castle must be totally closed off from the outside world, and Elsa must remain in her room. Her relationship with Anna (Whose memory of Elsa's powers was wiped away for the same reason) becomes extremely strained and distant as a result.
Eventually, the girls' parents both die (I'm not really giving anything away by pointing this out; It happens quite early on in the movie, and about the only movie profession with a higher mortality rate than "Disney parent" is "Stormtrooper in Star Wars"), and when Elsa is of age, the time has come for her to become the new queen of their kingdom, Arendelle. They finally open the castle again to outsiders for the coronation ceremony. Anna (Voice of Kristen Bell) is overjoyed to be able to see other people again, while Elsa (Voice of Idina Menzel) is just hoping she can keep her power hidden and not mess things up. Among the guests who arrive for the ceremony are the pompous Duke of Weselton (Voice of Alan Tudyk) and the charming Prince Hans (Voice of Santino Fontana), who hits it off with Anna almost instantly. In the post- coronation ball, however, an argument develops between the sisters, resulting in Elsa's powers going off the charts and plunging the entire kingdom into an intense winter. Everyone views Elsa as a monster upon learning what she can do, and she flees into the secluded mountains, where she builds her own ice castle to live.
As the blizzard in Arendelle worsens, Anna decides to set off after her sister to calm her down and get her to end the blizzard before everyone freezes to death. Along the way, she gets help from a kind young mountain man named Kristoff (Voice of Jonathan Groff), his doglike pet reindeer Sven, and a friendly living snowman named Olaf (Voice of Josh Gad) brought to life by Elsa's power, who wants to help end the winter so he can experience what summer is like (He's never experienced heat before, and thus is blissfully ignorant of what kind of effect summer would have on a snowman). Together, they must try to save Elsa, their kingdom, and their very lives.
Literally the only problem I have with 'Frozen' (When I review movies, I tend to talk about what I disliked about them first, so as to get that out of the way as soon as I can) is that, while most of the songs in it are absolutely wonderful (More on that in a little bit), there's a song called 'Fixer- Upper' a little later on in the film that I think is rather forgettable. It has some funny lines, but it doesn't fit with the rest of the soundtrack.
Other than that, I absolutely loved 'Frozen'! The story was great, the plot twists worked perfectly, the visuals for the various freezing effects and the frozen landscapes all looked awesome, all of the characters were a lot of fun to watch and perfectly cast, and the songs were beautiful. It really feels like it belongs with the Disney Renaissance films like 'The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast."
The characters really make this story what it is. Anna makes for a great heroine; Funny, brave, optimistic, and driven by love (For her sister, for Hans, and for her new friends) in everything she does. Kristen Bell's naturally cheery- sounding voice fits her like a glove. I'd say she's definitely joined the ranks of such memorable Disney heroines as Belle and Mulan. In a lesser movie, Elsa would have been made the straight- up villain of the story; Instead, she's shown to be immensely sympathetic, having to deal with her fears and regrets while letting go of her shame for who she is. You can easily see where each sister is coming from with the choices they make. Olaf the snowman proved to be a VERY pleasant surprise for me; Going into the movie, I was seriously afraid he would turn out to be annoying. Instead, he ended up being cute, sweetly- naive, and very likable. I ended up almost regretting that we didn't get to see MORE of him in the movie! Kristoff the mountain man was a neat character too. He's crude at times, but friendly and warm- hearted as well. His interactions with his reindeer Sven are so funny that you'll have to see them for yourself, because I don't want to give anything away.
For a Disney film, 'Frozen' had a ton of great action sequences. Some of the perils we see our heroes encountering in it include being chased by a pack of wolves, accosted by a menacing snow giant, and racing against time to save a character from being permanently frozen in ice. It makes for a lot of quite thrilling scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seats.
The songs, other than 'Fixer- Upper,' are all amazing. My favorite is undoubtedly Elsa's song 'Let it Go,' which she sings as she leaves the kingdom and accepts who she is, refusing to hide her true self anymore. It's a gorgeous power ballad, made particularly good by both Idina Menzel's knockout voice (I can see why she's currently one of the most respected women on Broadway), and the amazing visuals of Elsa using her powers to build her snow palace and an icy gown for herself. A couple other musical highlights are 'For the First Time in Forever' (Sung by Anna and Elsa as they each prepare for the castle to be opened to outsiders again), and 'Love is an Open Door' (A pop duet between Anna and Hans which has a great 'Best first date ever' feel to it).
'Frozen' has plenty of good theological messages to it, as well. One of the main messages of the film is that fear can be overcome through love. This brings to mind 1 John 4:18, which tells of how perfect love can cast out fear. We see sacrificial love demonstrated in the film through how several characters are willing to lay down their lives and their own interests to help others in need, a point hit upon in Bible verses such as John 15:13 (My favorite Bible verse) and Philippians 2:3-4. Another message in 'Frozen' is on the importance of discernment, being careful who you trust. Near the film's climax, a surprise villain emerges, someone who up to that point had come across as being harmless and trustworthy but ends up being rotten to the core. Scripture is littered with warnings about watching out for people who seem okay on the surface but can have evil intentions, such as Matthew 7:15, 1 John 4:1, and 2 Corinthians 11:13- 15.
Another bonus to 'Frozen' is that it opens with a fantastic new Mickey Mouse short called "Get a Horse!". This innovative short is a cross between an old- school black and white Mickey Mouse cartoon and a modern CGI cartoon which it pulls off perfectly. It's funny (I remember hearing the innumerable kids in the audience laughing loudly at various points in it), inventive, and just a blast to watch.
And so, that's 'Frozen.' An absolutely wonderful film and a great addition to Disney's lineup which you should all see ASAP. At next year's Oscars, it's pretty much a shoo- in to win Best Animated Feature, Best Original Song for 'Let it Go,' and Best Animated Short for 'Get a Horse!'. I wouldn't be surprised if it was nominated for Best Picture.
That's all for now. I'll talk to you guys again soon!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Hello, everyone! Let it begin!
Hi all,
My name is Adam Lind, and this is my blog, the Nightcrawler Experience.
For those who don't know me, I am a Christian living in Southwest Florida, a seminary graduate, an aspiring minister currently doing a lot of work with youths and with congregational care, and a dedicated aficionado of all things geek- related/ pop culture- related (Movies, video games, comic books, certain TV shows, etc.).
I set up this blog to basically share my thoughts on all things relating to those interests. Christian devotionals, reviews of movies and games and comics, and other stuff along those lines. Whenever God puts something on my heart in that regard that I think others could get something out of, you'll find it here on the Nightcrawler Experience. I have long known that one of my spiritual gifts is being able to find Scriptural messages in films that you wouldn't think would have them (Everything from 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' to 'Dodgeball' to 'A Nightmare on Elm Street 3'), so that will factor a lot into what I write. My devotionals will often incorporate plots of films to help get my messages across, my reviews of movies and other things will often discuss Scriptural messages that can be found in them, and so on.
As for how I hit upon the title of this blog, that factors into my point of combining Christian theology and pop culture. See, one of my all- time favorite superheroes is the X- Men hero Nightcrawler. He's cool, he's funny, he's brave, he's a bit of a movie buff (He's apparently a big fan of old Errol Flynn movies). Most importantly, however, and one of the main reasons why he's so high on my list of favorite superheroes, is that Nightcrawler is also shown to be a devout Christian, who often talks at length about his faith and makes excellent observations about it.
When I was a little boy, there was an 'X- Men' animated TV series, and while Nightcrawler only appeared on it a couple times, the episodes in which he did appear were magnificent. In fact, the first episode with him (Entitled simply 'Nightcrawler') was one of my first experiences hearing characters on a secular kids' TV show openly talking about God and faith. To this day, the climax and ending of that episode can bring tears to my eyes. I believe it's on Youtube, check it out if you can.
So, to tie in with the theme of combining Christian theology with pop culture, I have entitled this blog the Nightcrawler Experience (The "Experience" part was a suggestion of a young friend of mine).
On a more somber note, this blog is dedicated to the memory of my old friend Charlie Baker, who sadly passed away yesterday. I'll miss him a lot (And any prayers that you guys might be able to say for his family would be greatly appreciated), but I'll bet he's already made Jesus and a lot of others in Heaven laugh with a couple of his legendary jokes at this moment! I bet hearing Jesus laugh would be quite an experience, but I could totally see Charlie pulling it off!
And so, this is the first post of the Nightcrawler Experience. Stay tuned, as I should have a movie review to add to it in a couple days. Until then, God bless you all!
My name is Adam Lind, and this is my blog, the Nightcrawler Experience.
For those who don't know me, I am a Christian living in Southwest Florida, a seminary graduate, an aspiring minister currently doing a lot of work with youths and with congregational care, and a dedicated aficionado of all things geek- related/ pop culture- related (Movies, video games, comic books, certain TV shows, etc.).
I set up this blog to basically share my thoughts on all things relating to those interests. Christian devotionals, reviews of movies and games and comics, and other stuff along those lines. Whenever God puts something on my heart in that regard that I think others could get something out of, you'll find it here on the Nightcrawler Experience. I have long known that one of my spiritual gifts is being able to find Scriptural messages in films that you wouldn't think would have them (Everything from 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' to 'Dodgeball' to 'A Nightmare on Elm Street 3'), so that will factor a lot into what I write. My devotionals will often incorporate plots of films to help get my messages across, my reviews of movies and other things will often discuss Scriptural messages that can be found in them, and so on.
As for how I hit upon the title of this blog, that factors into my point of combining Christian theology and pop culture. See, one of my all- time favorite superheroes is the X- Men hero Nightcrawler. He's cool, he's funny, he's brave, he's a bit of a movie buff (He's apparently a big fan of old Errol Flynn movies). Most importantly, however, and one of the main reasons why he's so high on my list of favorite superheroes, is that Nightcrawler is also shown to be a devout Christian, who often talks at length about his faith and makes excellent observations about it.
When I was a little boy, there was an 'X- Men' animated TV series, and while Nightcrawler only appeared on it a couple times, the episodes in which he did appear were magnificent. In fact, the first episode with him (Entitled simply 'Nightcrawler') was one of my first experiences hearing characters on a secular kids' TV show openly talking about God and faith. To this day, the climax and ending of that episode can bring tears to my eyes. I believe it's on Youtube, check it out if you can.
So, to tie in with the theme of combining Christian theology with pop culture, I have entitled this blog the Nightcrawler Experience (The "Experience" part was a suggestion of a young friend of mine).
On a more somber note, this blog is dedicated to the memory of my old friend Charlie Baker, who sadly passed away yesterday. I'll miss him a lot (And any prayers that you guys might be able to say for his family would be greatly appreciated), but I'll bet he's already made Jesus and a lot of others in Heaven laugh with a couple of his legendary jokes at this moment! I bet hearing Jesus laugh would be quite an experience, but I could totally see Charlie pulling it off!
And so, this is the first post of the Nightcrawler Experience. Stay tuned, as I should have a movie review to add to it in a couple days. Until then, God bless you all!
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