Music Review: Various Artists – Fireproof Official Soundtrack

Label: Reunion
Release Date: July 14, 2009
Rating: 2.5/5

Movie soundtracks are tricky. It’s difficult to separate a critique of the soundtrack from a critique of the movie itself and vice-versa. They really are just part of the same package, as the soundtrack would not exist had the movie not been made, and most people buy a soundtrack because they enjoyed or connected with the movie. The songs serve to help them relive moments in the movie. For example, every time I hear the theme from Jurassic Park, I picture the moment where we first see the landscape scattered with dinosaurs, and the little kid in me gets goose bumps again.

Clearly, the movie Fireproof was no Jurassic Park. Without getting into a full review of the movie, I’ll just say that while I felt the movie was still severely lacking in major quality areas as far as the art was concerned, I was very impressed by Sherwood’s Pictures’ handling of a very important issue. Yes, the dialogue was very stilted at times, and the general quality of the production wasn’t up to snuff, but the movie’s impact on marriages across the country cannot be discounted. An objective review would obviously find faults galore, but millions of people re-committed themselves to their spouses at least in part from the movie.

These people are the audience to which the Fireproof Official Soundtrack may appeal. Consisting of 6 songs from major artists (Leeland, Third Day, Casting Crowns, John Waller, Grey Holliday, and Warren Barfield) as well as the original score of the movie, the soundtrack is truly a soundtrack, including only songs directly from the movie (no “inspired by” tracks here). The album will no doubt connect with many who loved the film, but aside from a couple of the instrumental score tracks, there’s just nothing new here worth a purchase of the album.

The score really lacks a theme, a running melody throughout each of the songs that identifies the movie and re-conjures the associated feeling from the movie. Essentially, what you have is decent instrumental music, combined with 6 Christian pop songs. My thought is if you like the songs from the movie (and I did and actually think they did a good job of utilizing them in the movie), you can buy them individually for much cheaper. The original score just doesn’t add enough to make buying the whole soundtrack worth it.

Fireproof was a big step up from Facing the Giants in terms of filmmaking quality, but they still have a long way to go. I really hope the movie’s success continues to translate into improved quality in future Sherwood films so I can praise something other than the filmmakers’ intentions and message. For now, that’s all we really have.

Where the Wild Things Are

I loved this book as a kid, and the trailer for the movie looks pretty good. I think I’ll be checking this one out.

HT : Z

Where the Wild Things Are

I loved this book as a kid, and the trailer for the movie looks pretty good. I think I’ll be checking this one out.

HT : Z

On Gospel Living and Oscar Speeches

I didn’t watch the Oscars last night, but I read the comments made by Sean Penn during his acceptance speech for best actor for his work in Milk, a movie about the homosexual activist from the late 1970’s named Harvey Milk. Not surprisingly, Penn took the opportunity to stand up for gay rights, specifically gay marriage and Proposition 8. The relevant comments start at about 2:32 in the video below.

He said, “I think it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.”

Obviously, I have a slightly different point of view about the topic. I found this post by Denny Burke to be particularly helpful in thinking through this multi-faceted issue.

A sample from his post:

Black and Penn’s remarks at the Oscars reveal just how much the ambient culture stands in opposition to this Christian worldview. But the response from Christians to that opposition should not simply be just to curse the darkness and to retreat from culture. Rather, what the culture needs more than anything is for the Christian church to engage the culture with proclamation and a wholesome living-out of the truth about human sexuality. The Christian church should be a counter-culture that images forth an alternative set of priorities. In other words, the church should be a place where marriage is held in high esteem both in living and in teaching and discipline, and it should be that way because of its commitment to the gospel.

The movie “Milk” and speeches by Black and Penn are not the main problem. They are but a symptom of a larger system that is set against Christ and His purposes in the world (1 John 2:15-17). And what our friends and neighbors need more than anything is for Christians to set forth a faithful counter-witness when it comes to marriage and sexuality. The messages coming from the “Oscar culture” are clear. The church’s should be even more so.

Read the whole post.

On Gospel Living and Oscar Speeches

I didn’t watch the Oscars last night, but I read the comments made by Sean Penn during his acceptance speech for best actor for his work in Milk, a movie about the homosexual activist from the late 1970’s named Harvey Milk. Not surprisingly, Penn took the opportunity to stand up for gay rights, specifically gay marriage and Proposition 8. The relevant comments start at about 2:32 in the video below.

He said, “I think it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.”

Obviously, I have a slightly different point of view about the topic. I found this post by Denny Burke to be particularly helpful in thinking through this multi-faceted issue.

A sample from his post:

Black and Penn’s remarks at the Oscars reveal just how much the ambient culture stands in opposition to this Christian worldview. But the response from Christians to that opposition should not simply be just to curse the darkness and to retreat from culture. Rather, what the culture needs more than anything is for the Christian church to engage the culture with proclamation and a wholesome living-out of the truth about human sexuality. The Christian church should be a counter-culture that images forth an alternative set of priorities. In other words, the church should be a place where marriage is held in high esteem both in living and in teaching and discipline, and it should be that way because of its commitment to the gospel.

The movie “Milk” and speeches by Black and Penn are not the main problem. They are but a symptom of a larger system that is set against Christ and His purposes in the world (1 John 2:15-17). And what our friends and neighbors need more than anything is for Christians to set forth a faithful counter-witness when it comes to marriage and sexuality. The messages coming from the “Oscar culture” are clear. The church’s should be even more so.

Read the whole post.

National Review’s Top 25 Conservative Movies – Last 25 Years

The National Review has published their list of the Top 25 Conservative Movies of the last 25 years. It wasn’t scientifically done, and I’m not 100% sure why some on the list were considered conservative, but an interesting list nonetheless. See what you think about their picks. You can go to their website to see a synopsis of each film with a little explanation about why it was chosen.

Top 25

1. The Lives of Others (2007)

2. The Incredibles (2004)

3. Metropolitan (1990)

4. Forrest Gump (1994)

5. 300 (2007)

6. Groundhog Day (1993)

7. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

8. Juno (2007)

9. Blast from the Past (1999)

10. Ghostbusters (1984)

11. The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003)

12. The Dark Knight (2008)

13. Braveheart (1995)

14. A Simple Plan (1998)

15. Red Dawn (1984)

16. Master and Commander (2003)

17. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (2005)

18. The Edge (1997)

19. We Were Soldiers (2002)

20. Gattaca (1997)

21. Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

22. Brazil (1985)

23. United 93 (2006)

24. Team America: World Police (2004)

25. Gran Torino (2008)

Other Notables:

Air Force One, Amazing Grace, An American Carol, Barcelona, Bella, Cinderella Man, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Hamburger Hill, The Hanoi Hilton, The Hunt for Red October, The Island, Knocked Up, The Last Days of Disco, The Lost City, Miracle, The Patriot, Rocky Balboa, Serenity, Stand and Deliver, Tears of the Sun, Thank You for Smoking, Three Kings, Tin Men, The Truman Show, Witness

National Review’s Top 25 Conservative Movies – Last 25 Years

The National Review has published their list of the Top 25 Conservative Movies of the last 25 years. It wasn’t scientifically done, and I’m not 100% sure why some on the list were considered conservative, but an interesting list nonetheless. See what you think about their picks. You can go to their website to see a synopsis of each film with a little explanation about why it was chosen.

Top 25

1. The Lives of Others (2007)

2. The Incredibles (2004)

3. Metropolitan (1990)

4. Forrest Gump (1994)

5. 300 (2007)

6. Groundhog Day (1993)

7. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

8. Juno (2007)

9. Blast from the Past (1999)

10. Ghostbusters (1984)

11. The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003)

12. The Dark Knight (2008)

13. Braveheart (1995)

14. A Simple Plan (1998)

15. Red Dawn (1984)

16. Master and Commander (2003)

17. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (2005)

18. The Edge (1997)

19. We Were Soldiers (2002)

20. Gattaca (1997)

21. Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

22. Brazil (1985)

23. United 93 (2006)

24. Team America: World Police (2004)

25. Gran Torino (2008)

Other Notables:

Air Force One, Amazing Grace, An American Carol, Barcelona, Bella, Cinderella Man, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Hamburger Hill, The Hanoi Hilton, The Hunt for Red October, The Island, Knocked Up, The Last Days of Disco, The Lost City, Miracle, The Patriot, Rocky Balboa, Serenity, Stand and Deliver, Tears of the Sun, Thank You for Smoking, Three Kings, Tin Men, The Truman Show, Witness

22 Weeks

From The Christian Post:

“22 Weeks” has the images and sound effects of a horror flick, but it isn’t one. Instead, it’s based on a true account of a woman who sought a late-term abortion but found herself living a nightmare.

In the 25-minute featurette, Angela, played by Natalie Wenninger, wakes up in her motel room covered in blood. She rushes to the clinic where she had been injected with a needle the day before to abort her baby 22 weeks into her pregnancy. She’s bleeding profusely and is having contractions but is left alone in a dirty room at the clinic. Something is wrong…

…While there a several uncomfortable moments when Angela experiences some complications, the shocking scene near the end comes as she has given birth to her baby on a toilet.

“He’s alive!” Angela screams, shocked that the baby was not dead like the employees had assured he would be when born.

But the mother is even more horrified when the employees, who respond slowly to her cries, deny the baby is living, do not help her and lock her in the bathroom.

“He’s alive and they won’t help me!” Angela tells her friend on the phone. “I don’t want this anymore … I made a mistake! Call 911!”

As Angela waits for help, she holds the baby close to her, telling her son, “I’m so sorry” and “I love you so much,” and wishing she had another chance.

When the ambulance arrives at the clinic, the employees try to turn them away, insisting that no one placed a 911 call.

“22 Weeks” is based on an article by World Net Daily, which published the true testimonies of the real mother, Angele, in 2005. And while what was depicted in the film was horrifying enough, Angele said what actually happened was even worse.

22 Weeks

From The Christian Post:

“22 Weeks” has the images and sound effects of a horror flick, but it isn’t one. Instead, it’s based on a true account of a woman who sought a late-term abortion but found herself living a nightmare.

In the 25-minute featurette, Angela, played by Natalie Wenninger, wakes up in her motel room covered in blood. She rushes to the clinic where she had been injected with a needle the day before to abort her baby 22 weeks into her pregnancy. She’s bleeding profusely and is having contractions but is left alone in a dirty room at the clinic. Something is wrong…

…While there a several uncomfortable moments when Angela experiences some complications, the shocking scene near the end comes as she has given birth to her baby on a toilet.

“He’s alive!” Angela screams, shocked that the baby was not dead like the employees had assured he would be when born.

But the mother is even more horrified when the employees, who respond slowly to her cries, deny the baby is living, do not help her and lock her in the bathroom.

“He’s alive and they won’t help me!” Angela tells her friend on the phone. “I don’t want this anymore … I made a mistake! Call 911!”

As Angela waits for help, she holds the baby close to her, telling her son, “I’m so sorry” and “I love you so much,” and wishing she had another chance.

When the ambulance arrives at the clinic, the employees try to turn them away, insisting that no one placed a 911 call.

“22 Weeks” is based on an article by World Net Daily, which published the true testimonies of the real mother, Angele, in 2005. And while what was depicted in the film was horrifying enough, Angele said what actually happened was even worse.

Fireproof – The Movie

Kirk Cameron was on the Today Show this morning promoting the new movie, Fireproof, from the creators of Facing the Giants. I posted on this movie a while back, but it actually opens on Friday and ticket pre-sales seem to be doing very well. I’ve seen some good reviews of the movie (like this one from Tim Challies), and I’m excited to see movies like this are finding a market.

Here’s the clip of Kirk Cameron’s interview this morning:

And here’s the trailer for the movie:

Fireproof – The Movie

Kirk Cameron was on the Today Show this morning promoting the new movie, Fireproof, from the creators of Facing the Giants. I posted on this movie a while back, but it actually opens on Friday and ticket pre-sales seem to be doing very well. I’ve seen some good reviews of the movie (like this one from Tim Challies), and I’m excited to see movies like this are finding a market.

Here’s the clip of Kirk Cameron’s interview this morning:

And here’s the trailer for the movie:

The Dark Knight

Leah and I went to see The Dark Knight last night. I know…yes, we saw it the day it opened…but at least we didn’t go to the 12:00, 3:00, or 6:00 AM showings Friday morning.

Anyway, I was curious to see if Heath Ledger’s performance actually lived up to the hype surrounding the movie. His performance from the previews looked amazing, and I wanted to see if the previews showed it all, or if the rest of his performance was really that good.

I was not disappointed.

He is even better than the previews lead you to believe. His take on the Joker was simultaneously hysterical, creepy, endearing, and psychotic. I’m not sure how those can all fit together in one character, but he made it happen. He is also one of the smartest villains ever, which is clear from the opening bank heist. He truly is a sick, demented….genius. The movie may be titled after Batman, but this was the Joker’s show.

Aside from Ledger’s performance (which is worth the price of admission itself), the movie itself was basically a post-modern take on heroes and villains. Batman represents the old modern viewpoint, with all his rules he lives by, and the Joker, who plans and plans, but in the end, has no real point to his madness other than to create chaos.

He’s psychotic, but his explanation of things is highly logical. For example, he explains the difference between him issuing the public an ultimatum of killing one ordinary person, or he will blow up a hospital. This creates a moral dilemma. How different would it be, he asks, if the person were a gang-banger or some soldiers where we expect their deaths? His manipulation of the public is highly intellectual, but ultimately, he just wants to create dis-order. For the Joker, the means is the end.

Speaking of ends, this one continues the post-modern theme right through with how Batman handles things at the end…although I actually enjoyed the ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, despite the violence. Actually, there is a very minimal amount of blood. I can understand why it’s rated PG-13, although my kids would probably have to older than 13 for me to feel ok with them seeing it. There are some great themes, though. It’s more of an exploration of the evil inherent (or not) in humanity, the need for heroes (or not), and the danger of evil without purpose. They explore these issues fairly well.

I would highly recommend it, and I will probably see it again.

The Dark Knight

Leah and I went to see The Dark Knight last night. I know…yes, we saw it the day it opened…but at least we didn’t go to the 12:00, 3:00, or 6:00 AM showings Friday morning.

Anyway, I was curious to see if Heath Ledger’s performance actually lived up to the hype surrounding the movie. His performance from the previews looked amazing, and I wanted to see if the previews showed it all, or if the rest of his performance was really that good.

I was not disappointed.

He is even better than the previews lead you to believe. His take on the Joker was simultaneously hysterical, creepy, endearing, and psychotic. I’m not sure how those can all fit together in one character, but he made it happen. He is also one of the smartest villains ever, which is clear from the opening bank heist. He truly is a sick, demented….genius. The movie may be titled after Batman, but this was the Joker’s show.

Aside from Ledger’s performance (which is worth the price of admission itself), the movie itself was basically a post-modern take on heroes and villains. Batman represents the old modern viewpoint, with all his rules he lives by, and the Joker, who plans and plans, but in the end, has no real point to his madness other than to create chaos.

He’s psychotic, but his explanation of things is highly logical. For example, he explains the difference between him issuing the public an ultimatum of killing one ordinary person, or he will blow up a hospital. This creates a moral dilemma. How different would it be, he asks, if the person were a gang-banger or some soldiers where we expect their deaths? His manipulation of the public is highly intellectual, but ultimately, he just wants to create dis-order. For the Joker, the means is the end.

Speaking of ends, this one continues the post-modern theme right through with how Batman handles things at the end…although I actually enjoyed the ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, despite the violence. Actually, there is a very minimal amount of blood. I can understand why it’s rated PG-13, although my kids would probably have to older than 13 for me to feel ok with them seeing it. There are some great themes, though. It’s more of an exploration of the evil inherent (or not) in humanity, the need for heroes (or not), and the danger of evil without purpose. They explore these issues fairly well.

I would highly recommend it, and I will probably see it again.

The Dark Knight

Leah and I went to see The Dark Knight last night. I know…yes, we saw it the day it opened…but at least we didn’t go to the 12:00, 3:00, or 6:00 AM showings Friday morning.

Anyway, I was curious to see if Heath Ledger’s performance actually lived up to the hype surrounding the movie. His performance from the previews looked amazing, and I wanted to see if the previews showed it all, or if the rest of his performance was really that good.

I was not disappointed.

He is even better than the previews lead you to believe. His take on the Joker was simultaneously hysterical, creepy, endearing, and psychotic. I’m not sure how those can all fit together in one character, but he made it happen. He is also one of the smartest villains ever, which is clear from the opening bank heist. He truly is a sick, demented….genius. The movie may be titled after Batman, but this was the Joker’s show.

Aside from Ledger’s performance (which is worth the price of admission itself), the movie itself was basically a post-modern take on heroes and villains. Batman represents the old modern viewpoint, with all his rules he lives by, and the Joker, who plans and plans, but in the end, has no real point to his madness other than to create chaos.

He’s psychotic, but his explanation of things is highly logical. For example, he explains the difference between him issuing the public an ultimatum of killing one ordinary person, or he will blow up a hospital. This creates a moral dilemma. How different would it be, he asks, if the person were a gang-banger or some soldiers where we expect their deaths? His manipulation of the public is highly intellectual, but ultimately, he just wants to create dis-order. For the Joker, the means is the end.

Speaking of ends, this one continues the post-modern theme right through with how Batman handles things at the end…although I actually enjoyed the ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, despite the violence. Actually, there is a very minimal amount of blood. I can understand why it’s rated PG-13, although my kids would probably have to older than 13 for me to feel ok with them seeing it. There are some great themes, though. It’s more of an exploration of the evil inherent (or not) in humanity, the need for heroes (or not), and the danger of evil without purpose. They explore these issues fairly well.

I would highly recommend it, and I will probably see it again.

Shawshank in a Minute

So in addition to the Election parody by JibJab Leah sent me yesterday, she also found this…a great parody of one of my all-time favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption. Great stuff.