The family therapist..who does all his own stunts!

"UP" Review

2009-05-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

At the time of this writing, Disney-Pixar's Up has received a 98% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. That means that 98% of the nation's movie critics have given it the "thumbs up." Such a high rating almost never happens.

That said, any movie, no matter how great, can be over-hyped, which can ruin the experience. For example, Ratatouille received such acclaim that my initial viewing of it was met with dissapointment (though I appreciated it much, much more the second time around). So, in the interest of not raising the bar too high, I will simply say that Up continues Pixar's streak of excellence.

Combining poignant and profound themes with memorable characters and a contagious sense of adventure is par for the course for the group that brought us Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, and Wall-E. What do all these films have in common? They effectively tap into our childlike sense of wonder while never insulting our intelligence or emotional maturity (or that of children, for that matter).

Likewise, Pixar makes the most visually stunning and sharply humorous films of anyone doing animation right now. In fact, they make some of the best films, period. Up is no exception, and it ranks particularly high on my Pixar list because it did something the others didn't. It made me cry. Twice. And I tell you, not with macho vanity, but merely to drive home the point: I don't cry in movies. It's not because I'm "too tough." I feel and get moved like anybody else. But I'm not a big cryer; when I do, it's because something is truly beautiful, and often bittersweet. States of Grace made me cry at the end. The Passion of the Christ made me cry when Mary runs to Jesus as a mother trying to comfort her son, only to, in turn, be comforted by Him. And now, Up got me going, with a pair of wordless moments (one towards the beginning, the other towards the end) that drive home how precious of a gift our lives are, as well as the people in them.

Don't worry, though, the movie is more of an adventure-comedy than a tearjerker. It simply has a beating heart, as the best adventures (and often the best comedies) do. It's thrilling. It's funny. For some reason I felt it dragged very slightly in the middle before kicking into high gear for the third act, but that's a minor complaint for something so thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Oh, by the way, I wanted to take Doug (the dog) home with me. You will too. MY GRADE: A.

8 MONTHS IN PICTURES, SUMMER MOVIE REVIEWS

2009-05-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

Hi there everyone! Been a long time, I know. I'll keep this brief and get you up to speed. I'm finishing up my Master's here at Auburn in marriage and family therapy. What next? Arizona, most likely, to be with family and begin my life as a professional. What follows are a series of photos of the past eight months of my life; just the highlights.

This is Kristy Malone, one of my closest friends in the world and the main reason I'm still sane after this straining year of graduate school. She's also an MFT student, and for you nosy types, no we are not dating. That said, I look forward to a lifelong friendship with one of my all-time favorite people. We've had a lot of fun together, like the above "Syrup Sopping Festival," haunted houses, the National Peanut Festival (way cooler than it sounds, with carnival rides, demolition derbies, petting zoos, and pig races!), the amazing Christmas lights at Calloway Gardens, and more.

HALLOWEEN PARTY

I went as Captain Hammer, with my friends Michelle and Adam as Dr. Horrible and Penny, respectively. This ward party had it all: Fear Factor (including the eating of live crickets), Murder in the Dark set to scary movie music, and tons of food.

MAYBE IT WAS MEMPHIS

For the annual Conference of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, eight of the twelve student therapists went to Memphis for four days. We went to BB King's Bar and Grill and enjoyed live blues (and amazing barbeque), explored gorgeous local parks, and went to a Halloween party in addition to drinking from the deep well of knowledge at the conference.

THANKSGIVING

I spent nearly two weeks at home (well, Utah and Arizona) for Thanksgiving for some much-needed R&R. That semester was the worst of my life. It was good to hang out with the fam (including my newly-acquired stepfamily!), enjoying games like the "Corn Bag Toss" as seen above.

CHRISTMAS

Awesome branch Christmas party featured an "Ugly Sweater Contest," a gingerbread house competition, White Elephant gift exchange, and more. It was pretty sweet.

Went home again for Christmas and New Years. The "Originals" got together on December 22 for a dinner, sharing memories of Mom on the anniversary of her passing. It's been two difficult years, but we're making it!

2009 SO FAR...

I'm interning at the juvenile prison, doing rehabilitation for adolescents who have sexually offended, as well as therapy with their families. This was my first professional office! One can only move up.

Stake and regional Young Single Adult activities have been awesome (and usually include late-night runs to Waffle House). This one was bowling.

Took this one on my camera phone. I apologize if it's offensive, but...c'mon, that's funny.

Just down the street from the Stake Center is...this.

Coming back from a singles dance with my friends...yeah, I hit a turkey.

My car, same friends, different story. Prank wars around here sometimes escalate.

Kristy and I just had to get out of Auburn one day, so we drove 20 minutes away and found all sorts of stuff: 1) A gas station selling, literally, white dirt for pregnant women to eat, "for the minerals." As a local told me: "You know how white women eat ice? Black women eat dirt." Offensive? Yes. But, I'm discovering that there's truth to it. We also found creepy abandoned farms, strange animals, and this 1800's-era Church with an outdoor pavalion meetinghouse that had a very unsettling feeling about it. Given the time period it was constructed, in the South, and the undeniably evil feeling we got there, we both had the strong impression that African-Americans were hung there by the Klan.

In March, we had, in a 24-hour period: a hailstorm with a freaky TORNADO rip through the outskirts of the city (two miles from my apartment), a 75-degree paradise in the afternoon, and a 25-degree blizzard leaving four inches of snow.

Yeah, we have an awesome beach three hours away.

Lately, we've been playing a lot of Rock Band. I do have a band, named Shredder, made up of my buddies Jake and Thor. No, I'm NOT SWEATING! We played through a tornado warning, and I had ran in the rain/hail to get there, so I was soaked.

We've also been doing a lot of karaoke at this place called Bogey's. My stage name is White Chocolate. We get the place going! Our DJ is this awesome black lady in her 40's named Nelly.

SUMMER MOVIE REVIEWS: Wolverine, Star Trek, Earth, Angels and Demons, Terminator: Salvation.

Meh. I know my sisters loved it, so I won't bad mouth it too much here, but the whole thing felt undercooked to me; plus, the inconsistency of Sabretooth being Wolverine's intelligent brother, compared with the radically different conceptualization of the character in the same series, was jarring for me. It opens well (the first 20 minutes got my hopes up), but after that I thought the storyline was a rambling mess. Sorry. The motorcycle chase was cool, though. And if I graded the film on Hugh's torso, it'd be different. My grade: C.

Star Trek is the best movie of the summer so far. While I'm no Trekkie, I was able to appreciate the delicate balance between making an summer-adrenaline movie with an attractive young cast while staying true to spirit of the original series. J.J. Abrhams has, in effect, done for Star Trek what Christopher Nolan did for Batman: get rid of the cheesy elements that made the series a laughing-stock while drawing out the raw power of the core themes and characters. Just like Nolan, Abrams has allowed the nerds to say to the mainstream public: "See? That's why we're so into this!" The story is good and the jokes hit the mark about 80% of the time, but the cast is where it's at. Chris Pine is makes for an entertainingly arrogant Kirk, and Heroes' Zachary Quinto is fine as Spock, but I'm all about the supporting cast, especially Zoe Saldana's impossibly hot Uhura, Karl Urban's (The Lord of the Rings) suprisingly funny take on Bones McCoy, and the pies de resistance, Simon Pegg, underused but awesome, as Scotty. If you've seen Shaun of the Dead and/or Hot Fuzz, you know Simon Pegg is the shiz. The Leonard Nimoy cameo is perfect, the action thrilling. My grade: A

Stunning photography and the thrilling drama of nature. I'm not partial to documentaries, but this was phenomenally entertaining, moving, and yes, testimony-building. See my full review at:

http://meridianmagazine.com/arts/090515earth.html. My grade: A-

This is being unfairly maligned by critics. This is at once more thrilling and more involving than The Da Vinci Code was, and Ron Howard's direction is more surefooted and fast-paced here. Visually gorgeous. By streamlining the novel's narrative, the film loses much (but not all) of the science vs. faith dichotomy that gave the book its weight. As it is, the film version of Angels and Demons makes for a very entertaining thriller. Some of the dialogue is poor, you have to suspend disbelief the way you would for a James Bond or Indiana Jones movie, and keep in mind that this is historical fiction (emphasis on fiction). If you can do that, this is a blast. Ewan McGregor rocks. Be warned, it is violent and intense, and pushes that PG-13 boundary. My grade: B+

I don't know how this movie would be for someone who hasn't seen any of the other ones. I think I'd be lost. As a thrill ride, Terminator Salvation delivers, with awesome spectacle and intense action, as well as some nice narrative tie-ins to the original trilogy (I especially liked young Kyle Reese). It effectively captures the post-apocalyptic world hinted at in the original three. That said, I feel that the Director's cut, said to contain 20 minutes of cut material, will do much to flesh out the story and characters and give the film more of the emotional weight that gave James Cameron's first two films such suprising punch. Christian Bale effectively makes an awesome G.I. Joe, but the character of John Conner has such dramatic potential that it's sad to see him so underwritten here. Bale is more than equal to the task as an actor if given the screenplay (forget Batman, if you want to see this man really act, watch his incredibly nuanced performance as the meek and humble rancher of quiet integrity in 3:10 to Yuma). Still, even with the plot holes and lost potential, this is a fun night at the movies. My grade: B.

Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Dragon-Con, more

2008-09-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

First of all, if you have yet to check out my current favorite piece of entertainment, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," do so immediately. This is a 45-minute, three-act musical comedy done by writing genius Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Serenity) during the writer's strike. He was bored and wanted to create something; while Dr. Horrible is low-budget, it is high-quality in terms of both comedy and music. Entertainment Weekley says: "The songs are kinda perfect...the thing is dam*ed funny." Done specifically for the internet (though a DVD is forthcoming), it can legally be watched for free at http://www.hulu.com/watch/28343/dr-horribles-sing-along-blog. The soundtrack is available on iTunes. Stars Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, How I Met Your Mother) as a lovestruck wannabe supervillain, with Nathan Fillion (Serenity, Waitress, Desperate Housewives) as the self-absorbed superhero smitten with the same girl. Be patient for the first few minutes; it really kicks in when the first song starts (though the opening is quite funny). By the end, you may be suprised at its emotional punch.

GOOD TIMES AT AUBURN

Life is good here. My buddy Grant has been throwing parties at his place (see above pics); we've BBQ'd, swam in the pool, played on the tramp, watched movies. Pretty sweet. Last week Auburn played LSU. Great game, though we lost 26-21. Still, the Church and faculty tailgates are always fun, with volleyball, grilled meats, music, etc. We went to a dance and I hit a turkey with my car (imagine someone throwing a bowling ball at your bumper at 80 mph. Blood and plumage were everywhere! My friends and I go to Auburn volleyball games to support our friend Lauren. Institute is a blast, and we always have fun games afterwards and Office marathons. All this helps me cope with the pressures of grad school, which is going very well, thank you.

DRAGON-CON 2008

With Hayden Panetierre of Heroes.

Take your average Star Trek convention. Expand it to include ALL sci-fi, fantasy, comic books, and horror in TV, movies, and literature. Invite tens of thousands of nerds from around the world and celebrities from said genres. Have said nerds dress up in elaborate costumes. For three glorious days in Atlanta, tens of thousands of geeks filled the Sheraton, the Hyatt, the Hilton, and the Marriot. The conference halls and rooms were filled for panels of actors, directors, and artists, as well as swap-meet style shopping of memorobilia, hard-to-find DVD's and comic books, music, and art. I met celebs, attended Firefly and Superman panels, parties with fans and actors, a Dr. Horrible showing with hundreds of people watching on the big screen and singing along, robot wars where geeks bring their own homemade robots and have them fight to the destruction (actually really cool), a big costume contest, a Miss Klingon beauty pageant, and so on. The food courts, bars, and restaurants were filled with creatures from another dimension. It was tons of fun. I went with my buddy Tiffany, and we stayed with her friend Brian. Really cool.

With the cast of Battlestar Galactica.

With the men of Firefly/Serenity. They were so funny.

With the women of Firefly/Serenity.

Looking down from the Marriot 42nd floor.

STAR WARS

R2D2

BAR-2-D2 (he really makes drinks!)

HARRY POTTER characters

Ghostbusters!

Firefly/Serenity

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

SUPERHEROES

IRON MAN -hahahaha!

WTF?

DISNEY PRINCESS GISELLE

ZOMBIE DISNEY PRINCESSES

Yuck!

SWEENEY TODD

ALIEN LOVIN'

Remember this guy, from Sesame Street? Yyyep yep yep yep yep!

V FOR VENDETTA

GINGY FROM SHREK. I saw him standing at a urinal; funniest thing ever.

BARBIE IN HER BOX

PREDATOR

Carly in hospital, entertainment reviewer gig, more.

2008-08-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a whirlwind month. Today I'll be sharing some deeply personal things, borderline too sacred to post here, but I do so in hopes that it'll fortify the faith of those who read it. But before I get to the heavy stuff, here's a quick update on me and mine:

- Dad and Carol celebrate their first anniversary this week! Love you guys, and congratulations.

- I just had my first week of my second year of grad school. Twenty years of school down, one to go! I love my professors, I really do. Scott Ketring (who's LDS) is my professor right now. He goes on hilarious, ranting tangents all the time. Tommy threw another "butt-pickin' BBQ" for those graduating and their families. I've gone from seeing clients for maybe 2 hours once a week to having clients every day, so that's cool. I really do love therapy. This is so the right fit for me.

- I got an internship at the juvenile detention facility. Go me. This'll be good.

- I stepped behind the camera and directed for the first time in 3 years! It was a funny commercial for the Teen Advisory Board, with whom I have my assistantship. I also doubled for the lead actor for the big stunt involving a human body (mine) hitting a tree at full speed! I miss it all, so this was a lot of fun. I was also involved in radio ads that we recorded in Montgomery. I'm so proud of our kids, they've performed their hearts out in these things.

- I've been having fun playing with the Young Single Adults in my branch. We went to a couple of dances in Georgia (I met a girl who nearly outbelched me), had some late night Waffle House, hung out at the Beesley's (he's the institute rep for the South) playing dodgeball on their trampoline. We've played sand volleyball and had a pizza party, pool volleyball and had hot wings, ultimate frisbee, kick the can. This weekend my buddy threw a Barbeque and a party. We've had a lot of fun together. I love my friends here.

- I got a gig at the Mormon website Meridian Magazine as an entertainment columnist. I wrote in a rebuttal to a review that called The Dark Knight sadistic and immoral, in which I argued that it's actually one of the more morally-centered films of recent years. They published my rebuttal as an article and invited me to be a regular for them! Pretty cool. I've done a second article on Brian Regan. You can see my stuff here: http://meridianmagazine.com/arts/index.html Just look for anything with my name on it.

- Yesterday we had tornadoes touch down a few miles away. The sirens went off to alert the city, twice at about 7 pm and once at about 3 in the morning. The tornado warning tower is about forty yards from my house; I'm going to be crushed by the very thing that is warning me of danger. We had a tropical storm blow through yesterday; it was scary and gorgeous (just how I like my women. Rowr.)

FAMILY HEALTH CONCERNS

- My niece Clair had brain surgery for a large tuber which was contributing to major, involuntary, and continuous seizures. The surgery was successful, and Summer (her mama) tells me that Clair seems so much happier and has so much more energy now that the seizures aren't zapping all her energy. I believe so much in the power of fasting and prayer. And Claire is the cutest. Just look at her!

- My cousin Carly, who I adore (people often say that we are the opposite-gender counterparts of each other), was in Georgia for a friend's wedding. She came with her friend Nicole Rich to a dance in Georgia, where we all met up and had a blast. Now, to mention the tender mercies of the Lord, I spent all Saturday on 3 hours sleep, shooting a commercial in the humid sun of Alabama. I went home and went to sleep. My body woke itself up after a few hours; two minutes later I got a call from my cousin Dallin (my phone had been on silent) telling me that Carly was in critical condition at the hospital, had been in a car accident on the way from the wedding to the reception. One of the passengers was dead on the scene, and Carly had a fracture in her neck. With her immediate family across the country in Utah, I left immediately for Macon, GA. Another tender mercy: I didn't have enough money in my bank account to pay for gas, and then suddenly I did. I don't know how.

I arrived late at night and met some of Carly's friends who were by her bedside as she slept. They told me the story of how the car got rear-ended at an angle while waiting at a red light, by a car that was going 65 mph by the time it hit them. The person who died was the groom's mission companion. Carly's roommate Nicole Rich had a hemorrage in her brain; the doctors performed brain surgery, and when I got there Nicole's status was a complete wild card: forseeably she could die, have brain damage, or make a full recovery. Nicole also had a cracked femur, which I hear is terribly painful. Carly had a fracture in her neck, an inch away from paralyzation; she also had a dislocated hip (which had already been set when I got there), vertebrae out of alignment, a concussion, and a nasty gash on her forehead. The driver and the shotgun rider had whiplash, and one of them had temporary amnesia, but both were released within 24 hours. The bride (Kimberly Whigham), the groom (Doug), the parents of the bride, and several others were there.

The newlyweds postponed their honeymoon and spent the weekend tending to their friends. The parents of the bride were some of the most faithful, genuine, thoughtful, and friendly people I'd ever met. The whole weekend, there was a tremendous outpouring of the Spirit of God. I haven't felt it so strongly since the two weeks after my mother died. So much love and genuine concern. So much optimism and gratitude in the face of tragedy. Instead of mourning the loss of their wedding weekend, the newlyweds were united in love for their friends and for each other. The Latter-Day Saints in Macon, Georgia didn't know any of us (the wedding was two hours away in Atlanta), but there was more food than we knew what to do with the whole weekend. Sister missionaries came and sang. Priesthood holders gave Carly a blessing before I got there, and brought us the sacrament on Sunday. Carly's Nauvoo performance friends sang with us in her room. Even though she was weakened, Carly's voice was still angelic.

Carly was a big hit with the doctors and nurses. She was so genuinely cheerful, and was always thanking them, making small talk, getting to know them. I have no doubt that they visited her room more than they had to just because they liked her. The only time she wasn't upbeat was when she thought of her friend Nicole, whose condition was still uncertain; Carly's concern for her was always on her mind, and she cried quite a bit out of worry for her, and when Nicole's parents arrived from Utah. Otherwise, she was cracking jokes left and right. The best was when a strong black male nurse came and helped her adjust in bed. He cradled her with one arm, and adjusted her bedding underneath her as he hoisted her up. Carly deadpanned "Ooo, muscles!" which made us all laugh and him blush a bit. He said: "Sorry I had to get so close," and Carly shamelessly replied "You can hold me tight anytime you want!" It was fantastic.

Carly also kept worrying if I was comfortable, especially as I slept in the reclining chair. For someone in her situation, I found that incredibly sweet. She's truly a Peterson. I read scriptures to Carly, prayed with her, sang to her. I slept in a reclining chair next to her in case she needed anything. We swapped stupid jokes. Everyone's making a big deal about my being there, but I don't think too much of it, for 3 reasons:
1) My mom raised me right (Dad, you helped too).
2) I didn't do anything anyone in my family wouldn't have done.
3) I got to sleep in, eat free food, and flirt with Carly's friends. Nobody say I didn't get anything out of this!

Lindsey (Carly's sister) flew across the country on the earliest flight she could find (8 am Utah time), but with the time zone differential, she arrived in Macon at 5 pm. Lindsey is terrific. She, Carly, and I had a little slumber party, and Lindsey washed Carly's hair, which at that point still had dried blood in it. We had a great time. At about this point the driver and shotgun passenger were released, and they came down to visit Carly. I was on the phone with Robyn (my aunt, Carly's mom) very, very often. Robyn couldn't fly for her own health reasons, and not being able to be there made her sick with worry, though good reports on Carly's health soothed her.

On Monday, in the afternoon, I prepared to go back to Auburn, leaving Carly in the good hands of her wonderful sister, as I had class the next day. Carly gave me one of the sweetest hugs I've ever had. As I got in my car, I had the distinct prompting to go back and give Carly a priesthood blessing. I obeyed, asking Nicole Rich's father to assist. In that blessing, along with blessings of physical comfort on Carly, I blessed her to no longer worry about Nicole, that the Lord would take care of her, and that she would be alright. The words came so clearly, and the peace from the Lord was so undeniable, that I don't think any of us were surprised when Nicole started making huge steps to recovery this week. I don't claim credit in the slightest; I was the messenger, but I rejoice in the tender mercies of the Lord and for the privilege to act and speak in His name. I know that God lives, that He is our Father, and that He and our Savior Jesus Christ know us, love us, and are mindful of us individually.

Carly is now back in Utah, where she has a long and painful recovery ahead of her. Nicole has been released from the ICU. The deceased young man had his viewing tonight. Please keep everyone in your prayers. Love y'all.

Jono

Family reunion, grad-school midpoint, X-FILES, MAMMA MIA, MUMMY 3 reviews

2008-07-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's been a couple of weeks since I wrote, but lotsa awesome stuff has been going down. For starters I went to Utah for a family reunion! Woo-hoo! We stayed at this really posh resort in Midvale, courtesy of Gram and Grandpa Burke, named Zermat. Midvale, apparently, was settled by Mormons from Switzerland, because they designed it to look like a European paradise.

My cousin Carly (who is the female me; we even share a birthday) picked me up at the airport, and she, Matt (cousin-in-law) and I drove up together. This place ruled. It had a pool that was half indoor, half outdoor, a gym (where I pulled a bunch of shoulder and neck muscles), a giant hot tub with a hot waterfall (which I used on said injury), and suites that were more like homes, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, 3 flat-screen TV's, internet, and a living room. What's more, my grandparents paid for 15-20 of those suites to comfortably house the 70+ people who came.

Highlights included a cousins-only dinner (no aunts, uncles, in-laws, or kids allowed; pictured above), a rotating game night where groups of 8-10 people went from room to room and played a bunch of different games in the different suites, swimming with my family, going to see the midnight show of THE DARK KNIGHT, and having a picnic in a park with the little kids running all over the place and making us laugh. We had four generations there! Also, setting up for a family picture, with 20 of us trying to get organized and little kids' mothers fretting over their clothes and hair, only to have the sprinklers go off just as we were about to take the pic!

My grandparents are 85 years old. Nobody's sure they'll be around for the next reunion, so this was their unofficial last chance in this life to see all of us. They left us their "final" testimony of the Gospel, with Gram emphasizing virtuous thoughts and loving one another, and Grandpa bearing witness of the importance of "keeping your knees polished" through prayer and reliance on the Lord. To keep Gram happy, Carly and I did a rendition of "Getting to Know You." Cousin Logan and my brother Adam emceed the festivities on the different nights.

My personal favorite event was the "skit in a bag" activity, where different groups of us were given a short story from the lives of my grandparents, a bag full of random wacky props, and 15 minutes to prepare a 3 minute skit acting out the story, while using ALL the props. Needless to say, our versions were very loose adaptations, and we laughed our heads off. I especially enjoyed my uncle Bill (playing the role of my grandfather) tossing a baby doll (representing Bill's wife, Gayle, as a child) and dropping it on it's head, then deadpanning, "Well that explains a lot!" Cue Gayle shouting out from the audience: "HEY!"

We also performed an impromtu rendition of "Memory" from Cats, as we did at the reunion nearly 20 years ago. It wasn't the same without my dear mother, but we made do. I like to think we did it to honor her.

Anyway, Dad and Carol drove me to Provo that Saturday, and I spent the day with Charan, Tim, and Alan. It was exciting to live vicariously through the latter as he chases his film-making dreams. We went to see TDK at the IMAX and had a great time. Sunday I went to my old ward at BYU, then had lunch with good friend Kelsey Reynolds, dinner with Charan's awesome family, and played games that night with a group including Tim and my old neighbor Stephanie Cook. She's incredible amounts of fun. On Monday Charan and I went to the Provo temple, I went running, had lunch with my friend Jenny, then flew back.

Since then, I've finished my first year of my master's program! Only one to go, and I am done! I had a neat missionary experience when a couple in my apartment complex moved out and gave me their house fan and a bunch of frozen food. I gave them my testimony, the special Ensign about the Savior, and a copy of The Testaments. I went to my friend Janet's big Catholic wedding yesterday, in a beautiful church in Georgia. It was wonderful. I hung out with my buddies Rachel Birmingham, Ali Zaremba, Stefanie Goetz, Kelly Tu, and Marinda Levy. There was great food, an open bar (I had orange juice mixed with cranberry juice, Sprite, and a lime. So refreshing). The night before I went to a church dance in Atlanta; it was a 50's dance, but not everyone got the memo, so wardrobe ranged from 50's to casual to formal. It was fun regardless. I can do The Worm. That's right. On Wednesday we had an Institute closing social, playing sand volleyball, swimming, and having pizza. That night I also watched Xanadu. No shame.

MOVIE REVIEW: THE X-FILES- I WANT TO BELIEVE

I don't know why this was so poorly reviewed. Perhaps people were expecting this to finally tie up all the loose plot threads the show left undone. Instead, this is a standalone suspense mystery that plays out like a director's cut of a good episode. It's genuinely scary, it's pretty well-acted, it's smart and unsettling. And as much as I tire of George W. Bush jokes, there's one here that's quite clever. All in all, if you like The X-Files, or if you just like to get creeped out, it's hard to go wrong here. ***1/2 (out of five) Rated PG-13 for moderate profanity and some violence.

MOVIE REVIEW: MAMMA MIA

Did you know Meryl Streep can do a toe-touch? Seriously! And that Pierce Brosnan has a raspy yet macho singing voice? Kind of like a deeper Bryan Adams. Basically, if you like ABBA, if you like fun fluffy musicals, if you dig that type of energy, this is a blast. If not, move along. Colin Firth adds charm, the young lady's got some pipes, the Greek scenery is gorgeous, and there's a lot of girl-power going on. Not a lot of substance, but that's not what it's going for. It just wants to give you a good time, and it succeeds. ***1/2 (out of five). Rated PG-13 for innuendo.

MOVIE REVIEW: THE MUMMY 3

New director. New locale (China). Jet Li as the villain. Michelle Yeoh helping the heroes. New actress playing Brendan Fraser's wife. Abominable snowman. And yet, this all feels so familiar. We've seen it done before (and better) in the first two Mummy movies. This isn't terrible, it's just...meh. Fraser is good. The actor playing his son annoys the crap out of me (or maybe it's just how the character is written). The effects are great. The swordfight between Li and Yeoh (which could have been worth the price of admission alone) is neutered by up-tight camerawork, poor editing, and un-inventive choreography. The jokes, which were "tongue-in cheek" bad before are now just bad. Meh. ** (out of five). PG-13 for violence and mild married innuendo.

THE DARK KNIGHT REVIEW

2008-07-18T08:37:00.001-07:00

Though this film deserves a very long review, as I have so much to say about it, what more needs to be said than has already been mentioned by the nation's critics, who have contributed to The Dark Knight's whopping 94% rating on rottentomatoes.com? Some are saying it's better than Batman Begins, director Chris Nolan's first film in this new Batman series. I disagree, but only because I think that film is a lot better than some critics remember it. I do think, however, that The Dark Knight is just as masterful, and since I consider both to be nearly flawless enough to give them each five stars, it's high enough praise to say this new film is the rare sequel that lives up to the original. Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker? Everything you've heard, all of the praise and hype? All true. His is a riveting, terrifying, and darkly hilarious portrayal of the ultimate villain, and it's a completely original take on the character. Everyone will be talking about his performance, as well they should be, but I hope they won't lose sight of how terrific the acting is across the board. Christian Bale continues to impress as the best Batman/Bruce Wayne ever. Since he was so well established last time, he's given slightly less screen time here, but he's equally compelling as a man pushed to his limits. Michael Cain and Morgan Freeman have less to do, but every second they're on screen, they're terrific. Gary Oldman continues to show that he's just as compelling playing good guys as bad ones; his Commisioner Gordon is a pillar of virtue. Maggie Gyllenhall (Stranger Than Fiction) steps in for Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes. While I'm one of the apparently few people who didn't mind Mrs. Cruise in the first film, Gyllenhall adds a bit more life to the character. Finally, BYU graduate Aaron Eckhart gives a subtle and layered performance as Gotham D.A. Harvey Dent. If Ledger wasn't stealing the show, it'd be Eckhart's acting everyone would be talking about.

The action: terrific (a mid-movie chase scene stands out in my mind). The screenplay: just like Begins, it's full of fantastic moral investigations, fleshed-out characters, and plenty of surprises which I wouldn't dare reveal here. Like the first film, this is dark and scary, but with a lining of humanity and just a touch of humor. The direction is even better this time (thank you, Mr. Nolan, for allowing us to actually see the fights). Don't believe those reviews which say they don't know how this slipped by with a PG-13 rating; it is intense, and the Joker is brutal and horrific, but just like a great Hitchcock movie, the actual gruesome stuff occurs in your imagination, not on-screen. There's not any blood that I can remember, though there are some freaky images vis-a-vis the villains' physical appearance and the sight of some corpses. That being said, this is not a movie to take kids to. Just because you don't see a lot of gore, doesn't mean it isn't terrifying. If you're afraid of clowns, buckle up. Pushed to his limits, Batman gets mean. I mean Jack Bauer mean! At any rate, this is a terrific film; a crime/morality drama first, an action thriller second, and a comic book movie third. It isn't flawless, but the minor complaints are so nit-picky that I've no need to mention them here. Sorry WALL*E, but you're gonna have to pass the crown of year's best film over. The Dark Knight is king, and his jester is one bad motha! ***** (out of five).

Hellboy 2 Review- Surprise: it rocks!

2008-07-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. 2004's Hellboy was mostly a dull, plodding movie. Every once and a while there were flashes of potential from the creative team: a crackling one-liner, an iconic image, a piece of hard-hitting action, a great character moment. But on the whole, the whole thing felt watered-down, forced, and a waste of talent. Rumor has it that studio suits interfered, as they're wont to do, with the creative vision of the director. But that director was Guillermo Del Toro, whose next film, the visionary Pan's Labrynth, won three Academy Awards, received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, and got a whopping 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This time, the studio suits politely stood out of his way. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army is at once an altogether superior sequel as well as a highly entertaining standalone adventure movie. The characters are terrific, the action sequences genuinely thrilling, the comedy hits the mark (it rarely did in the first film), and the visual design is at times among the most original and unique of anything I've ever seen. Oh, and there's a character who sounds just like Elder Uchdorf, and Selma Blair is quite comely in this. Go see this movie to enjoy the craft of a great director on the rise. You don't have to have seen the first film to enjoy this one; all you need is my brief plot synopsis (after the review) to get you up to speed for the second. For me, this is on par with Iron Man as the summer's best action entertainment so far (The Dark Knight, of course, soon cometh). While no character in this shines as brightly as Robert Downey Jr's ultra-cool Tony Stark, the ensemble here is better, the action is just as good, and the creativity and visual imagery are terrific. Del Toro is contracted to direct The Hobbit, with Peter Jackson producing. Having seen Hellboy II, I'm salivating for that product. Even more complimentary, when I saw Hellboy I didn't care to see the series continue; having seen it's brawny, spunky, and imaginative sequel, I cannot wait for another installment. **** (out of five) (Rated PG-13 for creepy images, action violence).

PLOT SYNOPSIS: HELLBOY (2004)
In 1944, the Nazis open a portal to Hell, hoping to unleash its power on the Earth. Allied soldiers stop it, but not before a newborn demon gets through. Adopted by a paranormal scientist (and man of faith), the creature develops a love for humanity, kittens, and Baby Ruth candy bars. In the present day (he ages differently) he works undercover for the FBI, fighting demons and monsters, with his best friend Abe (who is amphibious and psychic), and the girl of his dreams, Liz (whose superpower is creating and controlling fire). By the end of the movie, Hellboy chooses good over evil and gets the girl, though he loses his father. He yearns to be accepted by the people he's protecting, but the government insists he keep his existence hidden.

San Francisco trip, HANCOCK review

2008-07-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Alright! I just got back from a fantastic six-day trip to San Francisco for a Smart Marriages conference. The top minds in the field of family studies (and marriage and family therapy) gave seminars over four days at the Hilton, and hundreds (thousands?) attended. I myself attended some fascinating seminars on "hot monogamy" (sex in marriage), the portrayal of marriage and family in the media, emotionally-focused therapy, stepparenting, and more. I learned a lot, but I also had time for plenty o' fun!

I arrived Wednesday night and relaxed. Thursday I had some killer Vietnamese food for lunch with my friend Mallory and my professors Scott and Tommy (deep friend banana with vanilla ice cream for dessert. Fantastic). That night, a big group of us took a limo to Pier 39 (limo was actually cheaper than taxis when there were ten of us) for terrific sea food at Neptunes.

We saw big fat seals (or are they sea lions?) chilling on the pier. Pier 39 has a bunch of shops, as well as a Captain Jack pirate show. Pretty sweet.

Friday night was the 4th of July. We had pizza and drinks in the hotel room of Amy and Stan (a coworker and her husband). I had a Martinelli's apple cider. Didn't need no booze to get crazy. My friends, however, did, if only to get to my level of shameless, embarrassing behavior.

We drove out in a limo (again) to the harbor, where we gathered with hundreds for the fireworks show.

It was foggy in the harbor, but the fireworks were still awesome, as they lit up the fog. It looked like a battleground. I did find it ironic, watching the symbols of freedom erupt just above Alcatraz.

Saturday night we all walked over to Chinatown, which I hear is the best Chinatown in the U.S. It didn't dissappoint. I did embarrass myself at the restaurant, though. The food was fantastic (even if the fowl did still have their heads attached), but...well, I do not think that all Asians look alike. Not by a long shot. Which is why it's so shamefully embarassing that I asked a guy for our check who wasn't at all the waiter who'd been serving us for an hour. Oops.

There were all sorts of shops with decorations, clothing, traditional weapons, parade dragon heads, etc, etc, etc. My favorite was this big guy doing a "Rocky at the top of the steps." I call him Buddah Balboa.

Sunday I walked two miles to Church. It was a gorgeous, two-story building built on a hill, with big windows on one side overlooking a flowergarden. Too bad the meetings (normally at 9 am and noon) were combined that day, so when I showed up for church at noon, it was over! Oh well, the Lord blesses you for trying. Then I totally broke the Sabbath and bought a day pass for the cablecars. I spent the next few hours hopping from car to car, seeing the city.

The LDS Church in San Francisco

That afternoon I returned to find my friend and roommate Charles on his bed, looking tired. "Dude," he said, "I just got back from the gayest Church meeting I've ever been to." I replied: "Like, it was lame?" He said: "No, that wasn't a figure of speech. It literally was a gay church!" He went on invite from someone at the conference without knowing what he was getting into. He told me that the men had made aprons for a fundraiser and had modeled them during the service. The pastor went on to preach about God being a woman and spent 15 minutes blasting the Iraq war. Man, people sure interpret the Bible differently, don't they?

Anyway, Charles and I went to see the Golden Gate Bridge. We walked across it (it was refreshingly cool and windy), saw the pelicans, marvelled at the structure, and at the ships passing hundreds of feet below. Charles had a close call with a skunk. We saw this sign above a phone on the bridge, and it made us laugh (though it is quite serious).

Anyway, I'm back in Auburn now. Next week: Family reunion!

MOVIE REVIEW: HANCOCK

In short...it was good. Not great. Not even close to great. But entertaining. Any movie that has Will Smith playing off of Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) has something good going for it right off of the bat. Some decent story development, some unexpected drama, some solid action, quite a bit of good comedy. This is the type of movie that doesn't leave a lasting impression. Twenty minutes later, you're not still thinking about it (Wall*E, in contrast, was on my mind for days after). However, if you've seen everything else worth seeing and need a movie/entertainment fix, you won't go wrong here. However, if you're struggling to make it out to the theatre and/0r are saving your dollar for the best, I recommend Iron Man, Kung-Fu Panda, Wall*E, or the upcoming The Dark Knight. This is a rental for you. Will Smith, as always, is highly watchable, Jason Bateman is fantastically dry, and Charlize Theron has a role that will suprise you. *** (out of five). Rated PG-13 for profanity (one f-word which is, I'm sad to admit, pretty funny, and plenty of uses of "a-hole," and violence. Sexual content is a nonissue.)

NEW (OLD) PIC BONANZA, WALL*E, GET SMART REVIEWS

2008-06-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

So, nothing huge new with me. Busy as always, though midterms went well. I have one year left and school is no more! This is a big deal, because except for my mission, I've been in school since I was 4 or 5!. I am going to San Francisco this week for a Smart Marriages conference, and I'll be there for the 4th of July! I'm thinking of going to the Redwoods and/or to Alcatraz, but we'll see what happens.

CLASSIC PICTURE BONANZA!
So these won't be new to my siblings, but they were to me. I just found em.' I give you the best of some recently unearthed pictures.

Mom's 50th birthday! I was on my mission when this was taken. Gosh, she rocks! I miss you, Mom.

Me, at about age 13, hangin' with my BFF Tim's little cousin. I LOVE THE 90'S! Check out the "Mossimo" shirt and the "No Fear" hat I'm workin'!

Uhh...Jaimee, I don't think girls in our family were allowed such skanky short shorts! Points for flexibility, though :) Nineteen years later, we're about to hit Park City again!

Dad and I hiked the Y when he came to my BYU graduation.

Mom and Princess Julia. Hahahaha.

What is up with our hair? On second thought, I don't love the 90's.

And, this little gem of an unused promo poster for CTU Provo. There you go James, just me and Donny.

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT: This week it's just a simple testimony. I went with the missionaries to teach a discussion, and I'll tell you what, I know by the sweet confirmation of the Holy Ghost that the latter-day work of the Church of Jesus Christ is divine. If you get the chance to accompany the missionaries on a discussion, do so. It is a faith-confirming experience.

MOVIE REVIEW: WALL*E

I loved it, loved it, loved it. From the visuals to the characters to the story to the comedy to the surprisingly deep morality, this is a fantastic movie, even if you don't have any whippersnappers with you. Surprisingly touching, poignantly romantic (I know, it's about robots, but...you have to see it to understand). Previously, the best Pixar movies had a razor-sharp verbal wit (Toy Story, The Incredibles) but Wall*E, having a pair of leads who hardly speak, resurrects the type of sweet and good-natured characterizations and physical comedy found in, candidly, the silent masterworks of Charlie Chaplin. Seriously, if you love Wall*E, go and rent Charlie Chaplin's City Lights; it's one of the best romantic comedies ever. At any rate, while Iron Man may be the year's most kick-a** entertainer so far, Wall*E spoke to me more, and was equally entertaining in it's own sweet way. And it is a visual feast. See it on the big screen. ***** (out of five)

MOVIE REVIEW: GET SMART

In a nutshell: Get Smart will have you smiling the whole time, chuckling and giggling for a healthy chunk of it, and a handful of times it'll make you laugh until it hurts. Surprisingly solid action, a very likable role for Steve Carrell, and Anne Hatheway showing more charm than...well...ever. Alan Arkin, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson...they're all good. Not an instant classic, but definitely worth catching if you need a laugh. Some terrific one-liners and physical comedy. Steve Carrell seems to be channeling more of his Daily Show persona and less of Michael Scott, and it's good to be reminded of his comedic range. Rated PG-13 for a few profanities and a handful of vulgar jokes/innuendo. ***1/2 (out of five).

DVD REVIEW: BE KIND REWIND
Less of a riotous comedy (though it does have its moments) and more of a just plain likable, feel-good, fun movie about making your own movies. I may be biased, as I love Jack Black and Mos Def, but this is a great little film that really captures the fun of making movies with your friends, for your friends. Really entertaining. Rated PG-13 for a few profanities and one innuendo. ***1/2 (out of five).

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY! PLUS: INCREDIBLE HULK - JUNO - KATE & LEOPOLD REVIEWS, AWESOME MUSICIAN PLUG

2008-06-14T18:53:00.001-07:00

To all my friends and family who are fathers, I wish you a very happy Fathers' Day. I wish to pay a brief tribute to my truly exceptional dad. Though I'd like to fill this page with memories and thoughts, if I got started I'll be here all night, so I'll keep this brief. My dad is one of the best people I've ever met. He truly emulates the Savior in the way he deals with others. He is patient. He's caring. He's kind. He's merciful. He is hard-working, and self-sacrificing. He's fun-loving. He's a fantastic, considerate, and loving husband. As my mom once wrote to us about him: "You girls would be so lucky to marry a man like this. You boys would be so lucky to be a man like this." He's been so good to our family, to Carol, to the Rays, and to everyone he meets. He's been a great counselor and a great friend. He instilled in me a love for God, a passion for the scriptures, and an awe for nature. He taught, by word and example, the importance of honoring women and of treating all people with friendliness and respect. He got me into Frankie Vallie, Old Westerns, Bond movies, camping, hiking, running, dogs, and (after a lot of effort)...dirt biking. (Sorry, Dad, I haven't been bit by the handball bug yet). He taught me to revere the Holy Priesthood and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. There's a lot I could say, but most importantly: Dad, I love you. You're a great father, a great husband, a great son and brother, a fun grandfather, a beloved church leader, and a great man.

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT: For Father's Day, I love this quote by President Howard W. Hunter: "The title 'father' is sacred and eternal. It is significant that of all the titles of respect and honor that are given to Deity, he has asked us to address him as 'Father.'"

MOVIE REVIEW: THE INCREDIBLE HULK

After Director Ang Lee's (Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Brokeback Mountain) artsy-fartsy take on The Hulk tanked at the box office a few years ago, things looked dire for the big green dude. So what was in order? Recast the franchise, get a new director, and basically pretend the first one never happened. This is a reboot of the Hulk franchise, and it's a credit to the filmmakers that I very much enjoyed this film, given that I have no history of giving a crap about the Hulk or his tendency to smash things. I've always looked on the character with mild disdain, writing him off as a Jekyll & Hyde-type on steroids. But this Hulk kept me entertained from start to finish.

Credit must be given to Edward Norton, whose Bruce Banner is a lonely, tortured soul who struggles to keep the rageful beast within him at bay. Norton makes a sympathetic lead, and he does some fine character work here. Nothing amazing, ala Christian Bale or Robert Downey Jr., but solid nonetheless. Liv Tyler does just fine (though there's sure to be some inexplicable hatred for her by the public...there always is for the love interest in superhero movies! I don't get it. I liked Katie Holmes, Kirsten Dunst, and Kate Bosworth just fine). William Hurt, Tim Roth...the entire cast turns in good performances. The cinematography is excellent (some stuff in Brazil is particularly eye-catching). The pacing is great, and while there is some down-time between Hulk moments, the film doesn't lag. This is a much more somber movie than the crowd-pleasing Iron Man, but the handful of attempts at humor hit the mark just fine.

Most importantly, the film gives you a good dose of Hulk smashing things real good. The CGI on the Hulk is far better than the trailers made me think it'd be (with a few exceptions). And the action in this movie is fantastic, visceral, hard-hitting stuff. You truly feel the physical power of the character, and a couple moments startle you with just how kicka** they are. The final battle in particular is a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the exploration of the "villain's" motives (villains who think they're doing the right thing are always more interesting), as well as Bruce's desire to control his demons. Good people have a dark side, and bad people often have some virtue left in them, and this movie explores that idea to good effect.

Flaws? Well, being a comic-book movie, you have to suspend disbelief (even within the rules of its own universe) about what's possible or even plausible. Some plot-holes arise (though some are explained as the film goes on, in the moment I was thinking "wait, what?"). One side character's actions seem like a bit of a stretch. But mostly, any qualms I have stem from the fact that I've been spoiled by excellent superhero movies, like Iron Man and Batman Begins. This is not an excellent superhero movie. It is, however, a very good superhero movie that has some truly rockin' action, solid character work, and good acting. It's more than worth catching in the theatres. (Rated PG-13 for action violence, mild language, and a brief foreplay scene that goes nowhere). ***1/2 (out of five).

DVD REVIEW: JUNO

This year's indie darling is every bit as good as you've heard. Just be aware that the story itself isn't ground-shaking. It's a good, simple, sweet, and straight-forward tale. What sets the movie apart is its tone, dialogue, acting, and sheer likability. As someone who's worked with teens for the past five years, I can tell you that this is pretty true to life in terms of current teen vernacular and attitude. And while this world of teenage pregnancy, divorce, and step-families is not "traditional," it is, sadly, true to life for a lot of people, and what I liked is how a lot of the characters are truly supportive of one another and try their best to do the right thing by each other. The relationships are complex; some are touching, honest, and giving, while others are less so. Even the least likable character in the film is painted in a way that, while the actions are inexcusable, they are understandable.

Ultimately, this is a morality tale where a teenage girl decides against an abortion and places her child up for adoption; from my perspective, that's to be applauded. Her dad and stepmom, while frowning upon her sexual activity, genuinely love her and support her in their own irreverent way. The film has other uplifting messages, and while the way things happen with Juno should be interpreted by teenagers as the exception, not the norm, for unwed pregnancies, in the context of these particular characters it works. Where the film really shines is in the very real and engaging performances by the actors across the board. Elizabeth Page (X3: The Last Stand) is truly fantastic as Juno, running the whole gamut of emotion. Michael Cera, of Arrested Development fame, basically plays the same character he did on that show, which is fine, because he's just so dang lovable. J.K. Simmons (the newspaper boss in Spiderman) and Allison Janney (Hairspray) are a hoot as Juno's parents. Jennifer Garner (13 Going on 30, Alias) and Jason Bateman (also of Arrested Development) do good work as the prospective adoptive parents. And a certain cast member of The Office makes a brief, funny early appearance.

Juno works very well as both a comedy and a drama, with some very touching moments intermixed with wonderfully written comedic dialogue. NOTE: The first 20 minutes feature an unnecessarily dense onslaught of vulgar humor, but after that it gets much better.The music is great, too. RATED PG-13 for frank sexual discussion, vulgar humor towards the start, moderate language (including one variation of the f-word), and brief sensuality). ****1/2 (out of five).

DVD REVIEW: KATE & LEOPOLD

This is an older one that I've just got around to seeing. Blah. Meh. I like both of the main actors, but this movie was just so...bland. An hour into it I thought: "I haven't laughed or been moved, engaged, or amused by this once. Not once. In a whole hour. It wasn't terrible, it just...didn't try. I generally love romantic movies, but there was no real chemistry in this. Hugh Jackman falls for Meg Ryan even though they'd not shared one genuine moment of connection and she'd been a total b---- to him nonstop. Dialogue: bland. Story: half-baked. I did enjoy the argument for chivalry, I just wish it'd been presented in a better movie. If you need your Meg or Hugh fix, go watch Sleepless in Seattle or The Prestige instead. ** (out of five).

MUSIC PLUG: MEGHAN COFFEE

So I caught this show on Friday night at a local pub by singer/songwriter/mother Meghan Coffee. She's local (from Georgia), but has a New York sound. I actually went with a friend to see another band, only to find out this girl and her band were playing instead. I was thinking of bailing, but then we heard her sing and stuck around. Really good stuff, if you ask me. If you're into Sarah McLoughlin, my good friend Laura Ostler, or think Jennifer Tilly would sound awesome if she sang, give this girl a listen. Her band was very good, as well. I LOVE her CD (Songs To Sail By), which I bought at the show. It comes out next week, and I bet you can get it on iTunes within a few weeks. For now, give her a listen at: http://www.myspace.com/meghancoffee

Just let the music on her myspace play in the background while you do something. If you don't love it...then we agree to disagree, no biggie. I really dug it.

MY BIRTHDAY, ATL TRIP, KUNG-FU PANDA, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, MST3K

2008-06-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
Thank you all for your kind phone calls and emails. I felt truly loved on my 27th. I celebrated by having lunch with the OCC (Obsessively Close Cohort), AKA my marriage and family therapy buddies. We ate pizza at the Mellow Mushroom (Auburn's best, if you ask me). A friend of mine threw me a surprise birthday party at a nearby park, where my friends gathered for cake, games, and a roast on yours truly, with embarrassing stories provided by my sisters (I'll get you!). At work my superior Roberta baked me a chocolate brownie cake and we had a little party with my coworkers. Charan called with his annual Indian-accent rendition of the "Happy Birthday" song. Family and friends all contacted me. Thanks and I love you all.

ATLANTA TRIP
Went with the YSA's from my branch to a Young Single Adult Conference in Atlanta. There were hundreds of people there. Friday night was a dance. Young men and young women then stayed over at separate members' houses. We made a late night run over to Waffle House; ironically , we were just debating the sanitary level of the restaurant when we spotted a roach running across the kitchen floor. We just laughed and kept eating. Good stuff. Saturday morning was a series of Gospel workshops (kind of like glorified Institute classes, but on multiple specific topics). There was outdoor volleyball, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, a movie, a fantastic testimony meeting, and another dance. Great times.

We followed a spiritual prompting to pull over and help a motorist on the side of the road. He was an old man who had broken his femur, and on his first day out of the hospital his car ran out of gas on the freeway. I was sad to hear that he'd been trying to wave down cars for an hour and a half, at night, but no one stopped in all that time. Just goes to show that one should always follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. We got him some gas, and when we had some other technical problems, Caitlynn and Tiffany started praying in my car, and viola, problems solved. I had a good chat with him about the Savior (he's Christian) and we gave him a Conference Ensign and a Family Proclamation/Living Christ double-sided bookmark. So all in all, a pretty awesome experience!

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:
I had what I believe to be a rather profound insight from the Holy Ghost today as I read from The Book of Mormon.

"... the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure" (ALMA 4: 8).

Here we have an instance not of the unbelievers persecuting the saints, but the other way around. In our quest to become righteous, we must beware of becoming self-righteous. In our attempts to "be in the world, not of the world," Satan may erroneously lead us to despise the world. This would be contrary to the Savior's example; He loved the world. Jesus associated with harlots, sinners, and publicans. He despised worldliness, but never the world. "He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him. Wherefore, he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation" (2 NEPHI 25:24).

The Father is the same way: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." (JOHN 3:16). We ought to be careful to never think of ourselves as better than those who do not share our beliefs. That's how the Gospel of Peace turns into a dogma of hatred, as it did with the Crusades, the Inquisition, the KKK, and the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The Lord loved the world and its people without being worldly, and He's our example, so...you see where I'm going with this.

MOVIE REVIEW: KUNG FU PANDA

In short...it's awesome. This is the best CGI-animation movie since The Incredibles. Clever writing, gorgeous animation, fun action, and stellar vocal work by Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, and...(drumroll please)...Jackie Chan! The latter lends a feel of authenticity to this kung-fu themed flick, but you don't have to be a martial arts afficionado to enjoy the ride. Like The Incredibles, this works on multiple levels: kids movie, adult comedy, fantasy, and action movie. Jack Black is immensely likable and Dustin Hoffman charms. There's even some decent morality and philosophy going on. And it'll make you laugh. What more do you want? **** (out of five).

TV ON DVD REVIEW: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

DWIGHT SCHRUTE: Do you watch Battlestar Galactica?
PARTY GUEST: Uh...no.
DWIGHT SCHRUTE: Then you are an idiot.
- THE OFFICE

TV Guide gives it a 10 out of 10 and says it "transcends genre. One of TV's boldest and best dramas...intensely suspenseful." The Boston Globe says "it surpasses nearly everything else on TV." Entertainment Weekly gives it an A- and calls it a show "you ought to be watching... spaceships or not!" The Chicago Tribune, USA Today...you get the picture. It doesn't matter if you don't like sci/fi. Brushing this show aside for being set in space would be like missing out on Lost because it has a smoke monster, Batman Begins for being about a bat-man, or The Lord of the Rings because it has dwarves, elves, and dragons. The point is, anywhere smart writing, thrilling acting, complex moral dillemmas, and great storytelling are going on, you can bet I'll be there. I've been watching this show on DVD and I love it. It's constantly being praised as the best show on TV, and while I personally think that title goes to Lost, this is pretty awesome in its own right. Fantastic actors, gripping plots, surprisingly intense action, great production values, you name it. While it's first few episodes are fine, it builds steam as it goes on and becomes truly great. Examines issues of faith, politics, war, morality, family, and more without taking sides or providing easy answers. It's also very emotionally impacting. Currently airing its fourth (and final) season, now is a good time to give this a shot on DVD and catch up. Has some sexual material (more in the earlier episodes than later), but it's easy to see it coming and FF it. Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver) and Mary McDonnell (Dances With Wolves) lead an exceptional cast. Give it a shot! I'm Jono Decker, and I endorse this message.

DVD REVIEW: MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATRE 3000- THE MOVIE

The Gyst: I don't care who you are, you'll laugh till your sides ache. **** (out of five).

The Full Scoop: Once again, you don't have to like sci-fi to enjoy this. All you need is an affinity for dry wit and clever sarcasm. This movie made me laugh harder than any other film I've seen all year. Mystery Science Theatre 3000 was a cult TV hit in the 90's that spawned this 1996 movie. The plot (not that it matters) is that a mad scientist wants to dominate the world, but first he needs to find a movie so bad that forcing humanity to watch it would break their collective spirits (rendering them easily conquerable). To test his catalogue of terrible B movies, he kidnaps some poor schmo (Mike Nelson) and sends him up into space, forcing him to watch cheap, poorly acted crap (and yes, these ARE real movies). Mike fights loneliness by building a pair of robot friends, and together the three of them maintain their sanity by endlessly making fun of the movies that are sent to them.

This is where the show (and the movie) excells. While the brief intermission sketches are pretty weak, the actual riffing of old movies provides some of the most clever, brutal, and quick humor I've ever experienced. But don't take my word alone for it:

- "Siezes hold of your funny bone like a rabid mongoose and never lets go." USA TODAY.
- "Flat-out hilarious. Provides more laughs per minute than most Hollywood comedies." THE WASHINGTON POST
- "Hilarious commentary. ***" ROGER EBERT
- "May be the mildest PG-13 film in quite some time. Though the robots utter a couple of profanities and there are some vulgar cracks, it easily could have received a PG rating. When MST3K is on the mark, it's a howl. Only a couple of jokes...fall flat. There are more than enough genuine belly laughs to make Mystery Science Theater worthwhile. ***" DESERET NEWS

So give it a shot. The first 5-10 minutes are slow, but then it kicks in. P.S. When our heroes realize that one of the actors in the movie they're watching is the professor from Gilligan's Island, the riffing is particularly rich.

FLORIDA BEACH TRIP, "P.S. I LOVE YOU" REVIEW, I LOVE "LOST."

2008-06-02T11:51:00.001-07:00

Ahhh life! You name it, I'm doing it. I have classes, therapy clients, work, church callings, AND I'm working on my thesis. Fortunately there is fun to be had amidst it all. Like...FLORIDA!

From left: Tiffany, me, Michelle, Caitlynn, Dave.

BEACH TRIP, JELLYFISH ATTACK, COPULATING COUPLE

Caitlynn and I

When Bono meets Jono.

So I went with my friends Dave, Michelle, Tiffany, and Caitlynn on a day trip to Pensacola, Florida on Saturday. It's about a four hour drive, but it was worth it. Among the highlights, I got stung three times by jellyfish! The current brought them in by the hundreds. Fortunately, there was a good 3 hours of quality time in the water before those little nasties showed up, and it was fantastic. White sands, clear water, outside temperature of about 90 degrees and ocean temperature of about 70-75!

It was a paradise. At least one couple thought so, because they were definitely inspired by the beauty of the location to just go ahead and have sex in the water! I'm serious! Didn't even care that there were hundreds of people around. "Um, guys?" I said to my friends, "let's go swim far, far away!"

Anyway, Krispy Kremes and Waffle House were eaten, skin was bronzed (or cooked), and we rocked out in the car. Lotsa laughs. Good friends, good times.

Tanning while eating Sun Chips. What a life!

DVD REVIEW: "P.S. I LOVE YOU"

Hillary Swank (Million Dollar Baby, Freedom Writers) and Gerard Butler (300, The Phantom of the Opera) star in this romantic marriage dramedy about...well, do I really want to tell you? If you've seen the trailer, you know its plot, and if you haven't, I won't spoil it. I will say its definitely worth the watch. I don't know if I'm just a sucker for this type of movie, but both this and No Reservations got lukewarm reviews, but I really liked em.' Perhaps film critics in general are just too cynical, but I thought this was a great movie. The leads are engaging and have wonderful chemistry, the supporting cast is fun. It's sentimental and sappy, and you know what? I liked it! It was touching. It made me want to be a better man. It shows a passionate marriage that was imperfect but real, with actual commitment, sacrifice, and love. It's well-acted, its funny. The only bothersome aspect for me is a scene condoning premarital "comfort sex." If you can get past that, this movie has a lot of good things to say about love, marriage, family, adversity, and friendship, and has fun doing so. Hilary Swank is a fine lead, hitting an impressive range of acting beats (silly to sweet to dramatic), and Gerard Butler is also showing his range, having personified battlefield machismo in 300, seductive menace in Phantom, and goofy charm here. Lisa Kudrow is a riot, as is Harry Connick Jr. as a man with no personal conversation filter. Kathy Bates is solid, as always. **** (out of five). Rated PG-13 for moderate language, a handful of innuendos, sweet, funny and non-raunchy foreplay between a married couple, and a brief shot of male rear nudity (it's a fast-forwardable scene). WATCH THE TRAILER HERE (contains plot spoilers): http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/psiloveyou/trailer1/

I LOVE "LOST"

ABC's Lost just finished its fourth season, AKA "the Season of Answers," and definitely its best season since the first. This is a big moment for me, but I must admit that if it continues this level of quality for its two remaining seasons, it will claim the title for Best TV Show Ever (24 has to re-earn my affections this year. I still love it, but I'm putting it in the corner with a dunce cap, for now, due to its poopy past season). If you haven't gotten into Lost, or fell away during the slower middle seasons, now is the time to give it a chance/come back. With an established finish line (2010), it's now focused not on filler episodes but on telling its amazing story as efficiently as possible. Not only is it entertaining on so many levels (drama, laughs, action, mythology, mystery, fantasy, suspense), it has fantastic, nonstatic characters and wonderful moral and philosophical themes. It plays with time in an ingenious way that's often heady but never confusing. It has the best villain on TV right now. It's plot-driven and character driven. And last week's season finale kicked my trash in all the right ways. Seriously, jump on board!

MOVIE PREVIEW: "THE ERRAND OF ANGELS"

I love my faith. I love movies. Naturally, I'm intrigued by the melding of the two, though more often then not I've been dissappointed with the type of drivel LDS Cinema has provided. However, there have been a handful of exceptions, ranging from good to excellent, and anytime I get wind of something that seems well-made, I get genuinely excited. Such is the case with The Errand of Angels, a film about sister missionaries in Austria that looks like a companion movie to the wonderful The Best Two Years. Produced by Excell Entertainment (the more dependable of the two major Mormon Cinema studios), it looks solid, and has beautiful scenery (and no, I'm not just talking about the redheaded sister, hahaha). After several movies about male missionaries, it's good to see a story from the other half's perspective.
http://www.errandofangelsmovie.com/

AZ/UT vacation, INDY 4 REVIEW, NARNIA, SPEED RACER, EMMA SMITH REVIEWS

2008-05-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Alright, a lot of good stuff this week, including my review of INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL! WOO-HOO!

Seriously, does he look any older? The man has still got it!
(Review at the bottom of this post).

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:

This actually comes from the second Narnia movie, Prince Caspian (the Narnia tales, of course, are Christian allegories). Speaking of Aslan (who represents Christ), two of the children have the following conversation:

PETER- "I just wish he'd give us some type of proof that he's coming."

LUCY- "Maybe we're the ones who are supposed to prove ourselves to him."

Gives me the chills (in a good way).

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

For both LDS Church members and not, this is the definitive biography of Church founder Joseph Smith. Thorough, respectful, fair, yet unflinching, this is an in-depth look at the man and the prophet, his virtues and his weaknesses. Written by Richard Bushman, the recently retired Dean of History at Columbia University (and former Harvard professor), this is one I cannot recommend highly enough. It has the single best counterargument to anti-Mormon claims of racism in The Book of Mormon that I have ever read, and that only takes two pages! Bushman is both a practicing Latter-Day Saint and a respected academic, and his "warts and all" approach reveals a flawed (but great) man who did remarkable things in the name of God.

THE REST OF MY ARIZONA TRIP!

Oh, what's to tell? I had In-N-Out burger with a friend who visited Jerusalem, Gethsemane, The Garden Tomb, Golgotha, etc. She told me wonderful, faith-promoting experiences about her time walking where the Savior walked. Most of my family met at Chuck-E-Cheese for games, food, and visiting. Eric kicked my butt at air hockey and shooting hoops, but Adam let me drive his Audi convertible, so it was a good night. I love my siblings, their spouses, and their kids. I went with my uncles Ross and Rick, as well as my grandparents, to check out the various family cabins in the Mogollon Rim. Great job, Dad, Carol, and company for the design job you did on our place. It's gorgeous!

Our neighborhood

Of course Rick and Joanne's place (not seen here) is less a cabin and more a resort. Three stories? Six bedrooms? Two huge flatscreen TV's with surround sound? Satellite reception? Pool table? Ping pong? Fooseball? Their own playground and playhouse? Grass field for football and wuffleball? Basketball court? Jacuzzi on the way? The place is an oasis!

It was bittersweet to spend time with my grandparents, seeing Grandpa fading from Alzheimers like he is. But he and Grandma are still very much in love and keep trudging along! I spent the night with Shanon and Jared. I went with Shan to Abby and Jake's swim lessons (Jake's aquaphobia and repeated cries of "I want out!" were simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious).

MY UTAH TRIP!

Flew from AZ to UT, went to Alan and Megan's wedding and the surrounding events (dinner at Chef's Table, reception at a home and gardening place; bizarre, yes, to be eating cake at a place that sells manure and lawn fixtures, but the acres of flowers and white lights made it very pretty). Alan, for those who don't know, is my ex-roommate and my costar and director in CTU Provo.

After the wedding dinner, Charan, Ryan Croker, and I went to Barnes and Noble, where Charan, who is Indian, was picking up a copy of Kama Sutra for the happy couple, as "a gift from his people."

I had some fun, however, when Charan was waiting in line to buy the book. Here at a bookstore in conservative Provo, he hid the book's cover from the view of the fellow customers in line. I walked up and pretended that I hadn't seen him in forever, and the following exchange took place:

ME (super loud): Charan! Charan Prabhakar! No way! How are you man? It's been forever!
CHARAN: Uh, Jono...hi? What're you doi-
ME: Man, fancy seeing you at a bookstore, of all places! What're you buying?
CHARAN: Uh...
I took the book from his hand and read the title
ME: "The Complete...Ka...ma...Su...tra?" What's this?
Heads turn, ears perk up.
CHARAN: Uh, Jono, you kno-
I open the book and look inside.
ME: Is this some sort of cultural...oh! OH MY GOSH!!! Dude, do you know what this is? Sick, man! You're not even married! I expected more out of...Well (awkwardly), I gotta run. Good to see you.

Hahaha! Yes! I am awesome! People were giving him the "stink eye!"

So, they got sealed in the Mt. Timpanogos temple, and the ceremony was beautiful. There was a great spirit there, and my testimony of the Gospel and God's love for us was once again confirmed by the Holy Ghost. The next day, Charan and I met up with our friends Kelsey, Kim, and Mike (Kim's husband) at Lagoon for a day of fun in the sun!

After the river-rafting ride.

Yes, Charan is an "Indian Indian." That rules.

Every time we go, we do the bungee swing (70 foot free-fall followed by a flying swing out over the entire park, from over a 100 feet up). We tried to take a picture of Charan pretending to have fainted from fear afterwards, but the Lagoon employees took it serious and nearly called an ambulance, so we opted out of the picture to show that Charan was indeed alright.

On Sunday I went to my old ward at BYU, then ate dinner with Charan's family, who always took care of me back when I lived in Provo. I had dessert with my friend Carrie, and we watched "The Office" season finale. I saw a lot of my old Divine Comedy friends (even saw Taylor at Lagoon!), and very much enjoyed laughing with them again. One of our favorite things to do is watch Rifftrax (we did the I AM LEGEND one this week). If you don't know what Rifftrax are, go to http://www.rifftrax.com and click on some free samples! I swear, they make me laugh so hard. For best results, choose a crappy movie instead of a good one. Daredevil, Eragon, and Reign of Fire are my top recommendations for whole movie downloads.

Anyway, in the rest of my time in Provo, I went to the Provo Temple, hung out with friends, and just plain relaxed. Now I'm back in Auburn, and have hit the ground running with classes and work.

MOVIE REVIEW: SPEED RACER

For such an silly, fluffy movie, Speed Racer needed more self-aware campy humor to be enjoyable. As it is, it bores in stretches and can't decide whether to take itself too seriously or not seriously at all. Had it fully embraced the latter, it could have been a lot of fun. As it is, the visuals are inventive and impressive, Lost's Matthew Fox is awesome (he alone, as the deep-voiced and impossibly macho "Racer X", seems to understand the type of cheesy fun this movie should be), and Christina Ricci has never looked hotter, so it's not a total loss. It's just not a movie that I'd watch again. **1/2 (out of five)

MOVIE REVIEW: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA- PRINCE CASPIAN

While I enjoyed the first film's story more (it was so clearly an allegory for The Atonement, The Resurrection, the Battle of Armageddon, and the Millennium), this one is better made, better written, and better acted. Plus, it has a healthy share of Christian symbolism itself, some rockin' battle sequences (how this is only PG baffles me; the intensity of the action has PG-13 written all over it), and some of the best effects I've ever seen (the badger, in particular, is photo-real). The idea that the kids actually grew up in Narnia, then returned to their world while retaining all their knowledge and maturity intrigued me (and it makes their battle skills more believable). All that said, I still didn't find myself nearly as emotionally invested or involved in this as I was with The Lord of the Rings, the standard with which it will always, perhaps unfairly, be compared. Why Narnian humans have Italian accents now is beyond me, and some of the jokes fall flat, but all in all it was very good; better than the first in terms of storytelling, character, and filmmaking. ***1/2 (out of five).

MOVIE REVIEW: EMMA SMITH- MY STORY

There is a companion novel to Orson Scott Card's classic Ender's Game, called Ender's Shadow, which tells the exact same story from the perspective of a different character. Similarly, the surprisingly solid Emma Smith: My Story can be seen as a companion film to the current temple square movie Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration. Featuring the same cast, the same writer, and the same director as that film (even incorporating unused scenes from it), this excellent biographical take on Emma's life was made by the Joseph Smith and Emma Hale Historical Society, with full participation by both the LDS Church and the Community of Christ. Well acted, gorgeously shot, and full of historical and spiritual insight, this film covers the life of this "elect lady," focusing on her faithfulness during the events of the Restoration, but also covering (quite fairly, I might add) such hot-button topics as her later years and her reaction to the revelation on plural marriage. The result is a fascinating and testimony-building look at an oft-misunderstood figure in Church history, not only as the Prophet's wife, but as a remarkable woman in her own right. **** (out of five).

MOVIE REVIEW: INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

Where do I start? For nearly twenty years, the original trilogy has stood alone, nearly perfect, and repeat viewings have cemented its virtues in the minds of nerds everywhere. For at least a decade, rumors of a fourth film have had fans salivating, anticipating, and hoping. This film had an uphill battle from the start: how do you measure up to ten years of rabid anticipation?

You can't. So here is: The Bad News- this is the weakest film of the series. The Good News: it's still more fun than most movies you'll see this year. The Great News: Ladies and gentlemen, Harrison Ford has got his groove back!

That's right, having not had a hit since 2000's What Lies Beneath, the a**-kicking, wisecracking, scoundrel with a heart of gold that you grew up with is back in fine form. Gone is the grumpy old coot who has phoned in performances in roles not worthy of him. Back is the iconic actor who thrilled you as Han Solo, Indy, Jack Ryan, and The Fugitive. Harrison Ford actually gives a hoot. Not only that, but dude has been working out! He's in better shape in his 60's than most of us are in our 20's and 30's, and his action work in this movie will make you a believer. In spite of whatever flaws the film may have, the triumphant return of the Harrison Ford you know and love is reason enough to see the movie.

So, to end the review with the virtues of the film, I'll address right now the primary concern: lower your expectations. Deflate the hype and just enjoy the ride. See, the problem with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is not that it's bad. In fact, it's quite good. But the series had (theoretically) ended on such a high note with Last Crusade, it's a bit disheartening to see the series finish with a very good movie instead of a great one. Unlike the excellent Rocky Balboa, which redeemed that franchise by rescuing it from the awful Rocky V, Indiana Jones was not a franchise in need of redemption. However, if you're Jonesin' for a good new Indy adventure, this'll meet your needs.

Some things that might be percieved as flaws in the film may actually just be departures from formula that I might appreciate more with repeat viewings. Specifically, the artifact in question is not a religious one, as in the previous films, and the narrative and tonal direction the film takes might be jarring to fans. In fact, the entire main plot is only so-so, and the climax, while visually stunning, seems out of place in an Indy film. It would fit just as well in National Treasure, The Mummy, or even The X-Files, and doesn't carry the emotional or visceral punch of its predecessors. Plus, the film drags in the middle and some of it just doesn't make sense (though the type of power the Russians are seeking, though seemingly farfetched, is actually a power they really pursued).

So what does work? A lot, actually! First of all, the action is up to par, no small feat given Ford's age and the fact that he did much of his own stuntwork. There is a fistfight with a big Russian that hearkened back to the old days and made me very happy. And, as each Indy film reveals something new about the character, the portrayal of an older, wiser, and more kindly Indiana Jones (who still kicks butt) is fascinating. As is the removal of the character from the 1930's and relocating him to the 1950's. He emerges here as a truly American hero, and the provided backstory of his life in the years since we last saw him (after all, WWII happened in that time) is wonderful. I enjoyed the Russian villains. Shia Labeuf does just fine, and his chemistry with Ford is amusing. One returning character is most welcome, giving the film the emotional boost it needs. The post-climatic finale is sweet and crowd-pleasing, and while a few jokes fall flat, a lot of them stick, and I found myself chuckling often and enjoying a sprinkling of belly laughs throughout.

The use of CGI is not distracting, as it is primarily limited to shots where miniatures, stop-motion animation, and matte paintings would have been used in the original trilogy. We still get great, real-life stunts and giant, constructed sets. The creepy-crawlers are up to par with the previous films (spiders, snakes, bugs, rats, bats...now what? You'll see!) Cate Blanchett is chewing scenery and fun as heck as a Russian villain. Warning: you do have to get into the mindset of enjoying over-the-top action for this. Like in Temple of Doom, where they jump out of a plane using a self-inflating river-raft as a parachute? Or Last Crusade, when the plane follows the car into a tunnel? Yeah, be prepared for some cheesy scenes that'll make you roll your eyes unless you've got a fun, go with the flow attitude.

But when all is said and done...it comes back to Ford. The man is Indiana Jones, and it's good to see him in the fedora and jacket, bullwhip in hand. The script may stumble a bit, the storyline may be a departure from formula, but with Ford at the helm (and clearly, for the first time in a long time, having fun!), the movie works. It has enough of the classic elements in place to qualify as an Indiana Jones film and earn its rightful place in the canon. *** (out of five).

GREETINGS FROM AZ, MOTHER'S DAY, MY INDIANA JONES GUIDE, MORE!

2008-05-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

He was smiling right before this, I swear.

Yes! One year down, one to go for graduate school! I'm now in the great state of Arizona, and dry heat never felt so good. In this week's edition, you'll get a recap of the past week (of course), a spiritual thought, a look at some crazy animals, and my in-depth look at the original Indiana Jones trilogy to help you prepare for the big event next week. Let's dive right in!

POSITIVE REVIEWS FOR CTU PROVO!

First of all, two of the biggest international 24 fansites (www.24fans.com, and www.24headquarters.com) have reviewed CTU PROVO and are recommending it to 24 fans around the world. This was yesterday, and the downloads of the movie at our website have already jumped! www.24fans.com had this to say about our movie:

“CTU: Provo” is a fanmade ‘parody-homage’ which runs to a full 90 minutes. Don’t be mislead by the word 'fanmade', the film has very impressive production qualities, enjoys an excellent cast, a solid script and direction which at times is more inventive than that shown on the show itself in recent times.

The film follows the team of a CTU field office, a Jack Bauer wannabe and his best-friend as they try to avert an eco-terrorist threat made against the most unlikely of targets, the small town of Provo, Utah. What ensues is at times exciting, funny, or just down-right silly, but always highly entertaining. In short, if you're in need of something to watch while you soldier on through the torturous wait until Series 7, then this is heaven sent and highly recommended."

And www.24headquarters.com has this to add:

"We’ve all seen our fair share of 24 spoofs, but Alan Seawright’s CTU: Provo takes the cake. Seawright spent $15,000 to create the first feature length 24 homage parody. I didn’t want to spoil it, but Donny Osmond! As the bad guy! In Utah! I’m sorry, that made me laugh. Good luck to Seawright and crew on their future endeavors."

If you haven't seen CTU Provo yet, you can download it at www.ctuprovo.com

THIS PAST WEEK
Finished my finals, had two great therapy sessions (one at our clinic, the other at the juvenile detention center), had a great meeting with the Teen Advisory Board (more on that at a later time), and went to the zoo in Montgomery. I was supposed to be observing and taking notes on the behavior of elementary school kids who were there on a field trip, but found myself a little distracted by the animals. Like this one!

Seriously, doesn't this star-backed turtle look like it belongs in the world of Super Mario Brothers? Crazy stuff! In other news, I went with a friend to The Alabama Shakespeare Festival where we had a picnic and went to see a stage version of The Count of Monte Cristo (I know, not one of Shakespeare's work). The play was pretty good (it ended strongly, but the book and the movie tell the tale better), and a fun night. I had dinner with another friend in Atlanta on Saturday, at a delicious but ghetto Chinese place. Our waiter was Mexican, the music was country, and the food Chinese. What the heck? I also spent this week rewatching the original Indiana Jones trilogy with my friends Caitlynn and Tiffany. We fought a thunderstorm to go pick up some Little Ceaser's Pizza, and had a little marathon. More on that later.

ARIZONA BABY!
Caitlynn and Tiffany braved a tornado warning to drive me to the airport early yesterday morning, and I thank them. I'm back, and after just one day I feel so recharged! Zona is Zion! I went almost straight from the airport to Church, then napped and had a delicious Mother's Day dinner that my Dad cooked for Carol. My stepbro, Matt, was there. He and I are the only singles in this family over the age of seven, so we've got to stick together. He's a cool guy, and we get along famously. It's 90 degrees and beautiful here. I'd take 100 degrees in AZ over 80 degrees in Alabama any day!

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT:
This was from a sacrament talk yesterday, given by a teenage boy about lessons learned from his mom: "Be like a sponge. Absorb knowledge." Good advice in general, but he took it one step further, writing those words on the inside cover of a Book of Mormon he gave to a teacher.

MOTHER'S DAY:
Happy belated one to all who apply. Yesterday Dad, Carol, and I went to the cemetery to visit Mom. Carol stayed for a few minutes, then went to visit her own mother's grave, giving Dad and I a moment alone with Mom. If I start writing about her, I won't stop, so I'll keep this simple: I thank Heavenly Father for that fun, selfless, spiritual woman and her continuing influence in my life. As much as I want to return to God's presence, one of the greatest motivators I have to follow the Savior is to see Mom again. While at her grave, a scripture came to mind that describes her perfectly:

" Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her...she will do him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She girdeth her loins with strength...she stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of the household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her at the gates. " - PROVERBS 31:10-12, 20, 25-31.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Love and miss you. Can't wait to see you again.

NEW HOUSE!
Dad and Carol bought a new place in Mesa. It's huge, it's gorgeous (very Southwest in design), it's in a great neighborhood. There's just one problem: scorpions! The previous owners divorced and moved out, and nobody has lived there for a year to control the arachnids. If you didn't know, scorpions glow in the dark when you shine a black light on them, as you can see below:

Scorpion hunts are great fun; it's dark, there's an element of danger, etc. Once you spot a glowing scorpion, you just smash it with a hammer! The first hunt, several weeks ago, yielded a scorpion kill count of 60! 60! Yeesh. The last time they got about 15. Last night we only found 3 (and one black widow), so this is a good sign for the property. They've almost been weeded out. My sister Shanon, her husband Jared, and their kids Abby, Jake (in the top picture), and Lily came to play with us at the house. The kids love scorpion hunting. They also love piggie-back rides and trying to kill me through play.

JONO'S GUIDE TO THE ORIGINAL INDIANA JONES TRILOGY!

May 22 is only ten days away, marking the glorious return of arguably the silver screen's greatest action hero. I've already got my ticket to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and this past week I rewatched the original three to get myself psyched (it worked: the "Raiders March" has been stuck in my head for days, and I'm just fine with that). The following is my take on each of the original three (including why I've changed my mind about Temple of Doom). As the fourth movie may have some returning characters and plot elements, I've also included a brief plot summary for each movie for those who won't be able to rewatch the trilogy before the 22nd. Here we go!

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

Plot summary: The year is 1936. Indiana Jones, treasure hunter and professor of archeology, is recruited by the U.S. government to find the biblical Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do. Hitler is obsessed with finding religious artifacts with real or symbolic power as he builds steam toward world domination, and the Ark (which contained the Ten Commandments) is recorded in The Bible as parting rivers, leveling mountains, and laying waste to opposing armies. As Indy races the beat the Nazis to the Ark, he is joined by his friend Sallah (an excavator in Egypt) and his ex-flame Marion Ravenwood, with whom he rekindles an old romance. SPOILER ALERT (skip to the review if you don't want to know the ending): The Ark is found, but when the Nazis attempt to use it, they are destroyed by the wrath of God. Indiana brings the Ark to the U.S. government, but is denied in his request to study it. At the end of the film, the Ark is loaded into a crate marked "Top Secret" and is stored in a vast U.S. government warehouse of similar crates, ending the film with a conspiracy theory ("what else is the government hiding?") that would do 'The X-Files' proud.

REVIEW: What can one say about Raiders that hasn't been said? This is, in my opinion, one of the five best action movies ever made (the others? Die Hard, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, The Matrix, and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy). This movie has it all: a smart story (Hitler actually was looking for the Ark in the 1930's), rich characters, memorable villains, scares, amazing sets, iconic music, solid comedy, a likable and unsentimental romance, fascinating mythology, and some of the greatest stunt/action sequences ever filmed (the opening and the truck chase stand out in particular).

Raiders also benefits from the best leading lady in the series. As Marion Ravenwood, Karen Allen displays a tomboyish charm, spunk, and an unwillingness to simply be a damsel-in-distress (case in point: when locked in the cockpit of a grounded bomber, she calls for Indiana's help for a few seconds, then decides to kill some time by manning the machine gun and mowing down some Nazis!) The scene where she kisses Indy's wounds, which in another movie would be sexualized, is here very tender. Marion is resourceful, smart, and tough, making her the only love interest in the series who is Indy's perfect match.

As Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford completely inhabits the character, creating a man who is both an academic and an adventurer, who is a bit of a scoundrel but also cares about people. Most importantly, he was an action hero who was self-deprecating and imperfect. Up until that point, the James Bonds, the John Waynes, and the Clint Eastwoods were all extremely macho, "men's men" more prone to giving beatings than taking them. Even though Ford's Indiana Jones is tough and intelligent, he's constantly being outsmarted and out-punched. You know he'll win in the end, but usually he'll have to dig deep and use all of his ingenuity, physicality, and luck to to pull it out at the last second. Though John McClane and other heroes have followed the same template, Dr. Jones is the original and the best. * * * * * (out of five)

INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)

Plot Summary: The year is 1935. Indiana Jones has recovered a valuable artifact for a Chinese gangster. When the exchange at the gangster's Shanghai night club turns into a double-cross, Indiana takes hostage one of the female performers, Willie Scott. They narrowly escape with the help of Short Round, a Chinese orphan/pickpocket whom Indy has taken under his wing. A series of unfortunate events lands the trio in India, where they happen upon a village whose children have been abducted by a vicious cult. To make matters worse, the cult has stolen a sacred Sankara stone from the village, a stone which incurs the favor of the gods and causes the village to prosper. Without it, the crops have dried up and the people are starving to death. The village views the arrival of Indy and company as an answer to prayer. The trio agree to help out, but only out of selfish desire for the "fortune and glory" the recovery of the stone will bring. Their motives change, however, when they encounter the cult and see with their own eyes its practices of human sacrifice and child slavery. The quest for riches and fame becomes a rescue mission to save the children, destroy the evil cult, and restore the dying village to prosperity. SPOILER ALERT (skip to the review if you don't want to know the ending): basically, the good guys win, and the cult is wiped out by Indiana Jones, British soldiers, and the power of the Hindu god Shiva. There's a big, fat, happy ending when the children and the stone are returned to the village (families are together, the kids are safe, the land is fertile again, Indy gets the girl, Short Round gets an elephant, etc.)

REVIEW: For many, Temple of Doom is such a radical departure from the other two movies that it doesn't sit well. For them, the comedy is too broad, the tone too dark, the action too over the top, and Kate Capshaw too...screamy. Many cite it as their least favorite, and some downright hate the movie. I was one of those people for many years. But just as certain foods are an acquired taste, Temple of Doom's charms have grown on me, and I've done a complete 180 on my opinion of it. That's why I'm calling this review "Give It Another Chance, OR: Why I LOVE Temple of Doom!" and formatting it almost as a legal defense. I will address the regular complaints against the film and show why these perceived weaknesses are actually strengths.

COMPLAINT #1: The film is too violent and dark. WHY THIS IS A STRENGTH: While Raiders and Last Crusade, with discretion, can be enjoyed by the whole family, Temple of Doom is much more scary and intense, which is part of why I didn't like it as a child but do now that I'm older. I've always thought that heroes are so much more heroic when they're facing greater menace (like the Aragorn facing the horrific Uru-Kai in The Lord of the Rings). True, in the other movies Indy is fighting the Nazis (officially as evil as it gets) but those movie Nazis didn't possess the menace of the real ones. We never see them do anything truly terrible. The Thuggee cult, however, is shown engaging in human sacrifice, enslaving and whipping children (this isn't dwelt on, but it happens), using voodoo dolls, and other creepy things. Some say this is too dark, but I say that darkness, when used to contrast the light, makes the light shine brighter. Plus, the dark and harsh portion of the movie only lasts 20 minutes of the films' 120 minute running time! For the first hour, before entering the temple of doom, there's action, fun, creepy critters, booby traps, close escapes... everything you want in an Indy film. Then the humor and sense of fun disappears for 20 minutes as the film descends into hell. It never loses its sense of compassion for the enslaved children, or its notion that the cults' practices are horrific and wrong, but for 20 minutes the audience is treated to a nightmare that lead to the creation of the PG-13 rating. Why is this a good thing? Because it sets up what is, in my opinion, Indy's finest hour. The audience feels for the children, and I get the chills when Willie says: "Indy, let's get out of here," and he replies: "Right...all of us!" The next shot is of a slave-master throwing a child to the ground, about to raise the whip, then looking up to see the silhouette of JUSTICE! (see the image below). In that moment, you know that the terror is over, and that Indy is going to be kicking a** and taking names for the wrongs done deep underground. This sets off one of the great stretches of nonstop action in cinema, as Indy fights to free the children and escape with Short Round and Willie, in a breathtaking 30 minute crescendo of one amazing set piece on top of another. Cap that off with a happy ending, and you have a literal thrill ride that has successfully taken you from entertainment to terror and back to the top again.

COMPLAINT 2: It's too radically different from the other movies, and the action is over the top. WHY THIS IS A STRENGTH: As I get older, I realize that, in terms of plot, Last Crusade is a rehash of Raiders (with a twist, which is why it works, but still). Temple of Doom is bold, trying something radically new. If Raiders' tone is a tribute to the cliffhanger serials of the 1930's, Temple of Doom's tone is a tribute to the horror films of the same era (Frankenstein, Dracula), where the evil villains are over the top and do that crazy villain laugh that is only parodied these days. While Raiders is a smart, plot-driven movie, Temple of Doom was only ever meant to be a rollercoaster. It's dumb fun, but that's what it's going for. The action is over-the-top, but that's part of the fantasy. Plus, while the other Indy movies are all about him preventing something and traveling all over the world, this has him engaged in a rescue mission, stopping an evil that is already occurring, and takes place mostly in the same location. It's a fun departure from formula.

COMPLAINT 3: The comedy is too broad, and Kate Capshaw is too...screamy. WHY THIS IS A STRENGTH: If you look at the movie as a self-aware, campy horror movie with an action hero dropped in the middle, Kate Capshaw's screaming actually fits right in. Some find this annoying when comparing it to Marion's toughness in the first movie, but if you take Temple of Doom on its own terms (as a tongue-in-cheek homage to classic horror, not a tonal sequel to Raiders), it works fine. Also, now that I'm older, I find Kate Capeshaw's performance to be quite funny. She seems to be channeling Lucille Ball a bit. And yes, the comedy is not as witty as Raiders or Last Crusade. It's a bit more campy and silly, but that plays into the film's tone. Like Tremors or Brendan Fraser's The Mummy, Temple of Doom has a charming, self-aware, tongue-in-cheek silliness to it. As was the case of those two movies, it's a type of humor that seemed cheesy when I was younger, but is now funny because I realize that the camp is intentional. Plus, the comedic style also helps balance out the scares because it suggests to the audience that none of this is to be taken too seriously.

In short, Temple of Doom is daring, inventive, and the most thrilling in the series. A movie that opens with a Rogers and Hammerstein-style musical number called "Anything Goes" lives up to that motto, as the film is enjoyably unpredictable; like a good roller-coaster, you never know what's just around the corner. It successfully mixes romance, tender friendship, horror, broad comedy, and truly crazy stuntwork. While the other Indy films are popcorn movies with smarts and substance, this is proudly just a popcorn movie, through and through. But what a ride! * * * * (out of five).

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989)

Plot Summary: The year is 1938. Indiana Jones sets out to find his estranged father (played by Sean Connery) who has gone missing in a search for the Holy Grail, which is the cup used by Jesus Christ in the Last Supper and which caught His blood at the crucifixion. Legend holds that the Holy Grail gives immortality to whoever drinks from it. Indy is accompanied by friend and museum curator Marcus Brody and by Sallah (both returning from 'Raiders'), as well as by beautiful female archeologist Elsa Schneider, who was the last person to see Indy's father alive. Indy finds his cantankerous father, and the decades-old bickering resumes as they search for the Grail, outrun Nazis (Hitler really was looking for this, as well), and work out the issues that have kept them apart for so many years. SPOILER ALERT (skip to the review if you don't want to know the ending): They find the Grail, and both Indy and father drink from it, saving the dad's life and granting them both immortality. However, Elsa (who's actually evil) greedily takes the Grail past a forbidden seal, rendering the Joneses mortal again and causing the whole area to collapse in an earthquake. She falls to her death, and Indiana risks the same fate as he tries to recover the Grail, presumably for his father, whose life's work (and reason for parental neglect) has been the quest to acquire it. In a truly touching moment, Indy's father tells him gently to "let it go," suggesting that he cares more about his son's life than the Grail. Their relationship healed (though the comedic bickering, thankfully, remains) father, son, and friends ride into the sunset.

REVIEW: Though the plotline is similar in many respects to Raiders (Indy races the Nazis to an artifact which Hitler wants for world domination), Last Crusade is less about plot and more about character, relationships, and comedy. If Raiders is the smartest film in the trilogy, and Temple of Doom is the biggest thrill ride, Last Crusade is by far both the funniest and the most emotionally involving, rendering it many fans' favorite film of the three (including mine).

The film has the all of the excellent action sequences (in this case, vehicular chases are the norm, with all sorts of stunt-filled highlights involving trains, boats, motorcycles, planes, and tanks), creepy-crawly moments, mysticism, exotic locales, and booby traps that one expects from an Indiana Jones movie. What truly sets it apart is a script that, beginning with the intro of Sean Connery's character 45 minutes in, is loaded with almost nonstop comedy (though the finale is both truly touching and thrilling). What's more, it's not just comedy for the sake of laughter; by and large it establishes the characters' relationships and moves the story along. While both Harrison Ford and Sean Connery are absolutely iconic actors, neither of them has ever, before or since, displayed such prowess with funny dialogue, and it's obvious that both of them are having the time of their life with this.

One of the neat things about the Indiana Jones movies is that each film reveals something new about our hero's character. There are different virtues and flaws on display each time. Raiders gave us a taste of his romantic side, his academic mind, and his tenacity against obstacles. Temple of Doom highlights his capacity for both greed and compassion, as well as a paternal side in his relationship with Short Round. Last Crusade, without laying it on too thick, shows a man who is still aching from a lonely childhood. This larger-than-life hero, who smirks at Nazis and courageously challenges a tank while on horseback (armed with just a pistol!), is vulnerable only to his father's disapproval. He resents the man who "taught him self-reliance" but discovers that he respects and loves that man as well. Of course the movie handles it in a way that is more subtle and less sappy than I've made it sound, but it's there, nonetheless. Connery, on the other hand, plays gloriously against type as a bookish old man, unaccustomed to danger, but still with hidden strength. He and Ford have a glowing chemistry here, and it's their interplay that elevates this from "Very Good" to "Truly Great." * * * * 1/2 (out of five).

MAY 22, 2008: INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

OH YEAH!

CTU Provo Southern Premiere, IRON MAN review, SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW, more!

2008-05-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Some 30 people attended the CTU PROVO Southern Premiere.

This was taken before the feature started.

Whaddup y'all?

Well, two finals down, one to go, then I'll have my first year of grad school under my belt. What happened this week? Well, we had an Elder's Quorom game night; my team rocked Cranium, but ultimately lost. That's a fun game! We don't do a lot of EQ activities (lots of branch and/or YSA activities), and it was cool to get to know all the other guys better.

I saw a real-life fox running through town yesterday, and true to form, it was clever! I'd never seen an animal actually pause and look both ways before crossing the street until now (hence the roadkill of many other species). This fox actually waited for an opening in traffic! Smart creatures. So ladies, next time a guy calls you a fox, it may not just mean that you're hot...he may be complimenting you for your assets above the neck as well.

My friend Rachel had her birthday dinner at Johnny Carino's. Let's just say that things get out of hand if I drink caffeine.

Let's see, I saw Iron Man (more on that in a second), I helped a friend move, went to a lunch one day and a dinner BBQ the next with my co-workers. The BBQ was at Francesca's house (she's my boss; really smart lady, with a good balance between business sense and personability). I got sucked into playing kickball and trampoline games with the kids (yes, I'm aware of the weight differential and I was careful). I love the South; they'll find any excuse to have a barbeque!

And finally, last night was the East Coast premiere of CTU:PROVO. We piggie-backed onto the end of the institute closing social, and between the YSA's and invited guests, we had about 30 people there for barbeque (once again), swimming, and ultimate frisbee before the movie. The latter was the most fun; my branch president and his wife have some great moves. A girl named Mary brought her big black dog, who got involved in the Ultimate Frisbee game by chasing/catching the frisbee, barking at people, and actually biting a couple of individuals who got too close to its master! It was an exciting and terrifying way to play the game, and reminded me of the scene in Gladiator where they release the tigers to increase the stakes. My team did win, BTW. We then watched the movie on a 12-foot projector screen with great sound. It was well-received, and I'm grateful to all who came and supported. The humor went over well, people were complimentary of the technical aspects, and the final fight drew audible reactions from the crowd (gasping, cheering, etc.), which moistened my heart.

IRON MAN REVIEW AND SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW:

MOVIE REVIEW: IRON MAN

The Gyst: With hard-hitting action, unsentimental morality, and a fantastic dry wit (courtesy of a great script and Robert Downey Jr.'s excellent delivery), Iron Man is the perfect film to open the summer. Which isn't to say it's a 'perfect film', but its so much fun, you won't care. **** (out of five). PG-13 (bloodless but intense action violence, a five-second makeout/sex scene).

The Full Scoop: The best superhero movies all have three things: a solid script, iconic characters, and great actors. Iron Man is well-stocked for the latter. Just look at the photo above: we're talking Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, and Jeff freaking Bridges! The script is also quite good; it's your standard superhero origin story, but it has more than enough originality (both in its morality and in its snappy dialogue) to give it a boost. And while Iron Man isn't the iconic character that Batman, Superman, or Spiderman is, this movie just might make him so.

Directed by John Favreau (who brought a sense of wonder and brilliant comedy to Elf), Iron Man is set above similar films by its sense of humor and Robert Downey Jr.'s too-cool performance as Tony Stark/Iron Man. Yes, it has awesome effects and some delightfully hard-hitting action, but this is really Robert Downey Jr.'s show. Like Christian Bale, Tobey McGuire, and Johnny Depp before him, this is a decorated actor, well-respected by film-buffs, who is about to become a household superstar thanks to a popcorn movie. His Tony Stark makes the transformation from selfish, hedonistic playboy to moral crusader without losing his coolness or sardonic wit. Like Batman, Iron Man is a self-made superhero, a wealthy mortal with smarts and means but no powers to speak of. And while Batman Begins still holds the title for Best Superhero Movie Ever Made, I dare say that Tony Stark has more fun creating his alter-ego than Bruce Wayne did.

What more can be said about this film than has been said by the nation's critics, who've contributed to its unheard-of 94% approval rating on rottentomatoes.com!?! Obviously, you must see the film. The supporting cast is underused, but well-acted, and I cannot wait to see what they do in the next film (Gwyneth Paltrow, in particular, has fun here, and her chemistry with Downey Jr. is a kick). The action is absolutely rocking. The film's attitude is infectious, its humor: spot-on. But I do wish to emphasize that, despite its critical acclaim, it remains a very good film, but not a truly great one. It lacks the pacing of a Batman Begins, the menace of an X2: X-Men United. The film drags a tiny bit, and while the final action climax is thrilling, it doesn't carry enough emotional weight to feel like anything more than an effects extravaganza (in contrast, an earlier action piece of Iron Man's first real mission is an absolute knockout). Don't get me wrong, there's a place for that sort of "boom-smash entertainment" (Transformers), and it works just fine here. I'm not knocking the film, I'm just saying that now that Iron Man's origin is out of the way, I look forward to a second film where the villain-hero conflict has a whole movie to build some steam. Quibbles aside, Iron Man has more than enough charm, thrills, and emotional gravitas to be the can't miss film of the summer. At least until Indy and Batman pop up. Which brings me to my next item of business:

JONO'S SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW!
Sitting in the theater on Friday, watching the previews heralding Summer Movie Season (my favorite time of the year, sorry Christmas), I was struck with one thought: this is going to be one fantastic summer. So now, for your consideration, the films on our horizon (note: this list only contains those movies I want to see. Chick flicks are not to be found unless they look any good).

OUT NOW
Son of Rambow: Independent British comedy about two little English boys who see First Blood and set out to make their own Rambo movie. This was a Sundance darling and has been a hit with critics. Looks absolutely adorable, even if you've no love for Stallone.

Baby Mama: Tina Fey? Amy Poehler? Yes please. Looks funny.

MAY 9
Speed Racer: I had no desire to see this movie. Thought it looked stupid. But the latest trailer sold me. Why? Because its obvious that they're not taking this seriously at all! The tongue is firmly planted in cheeck. And that is the only way to do this. Matthew Fox's super low voice cracked me up. Plus, Christinna Ricci looks delicious.

MAY 16
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian- Should be a fun matinee. The actor playing the Prince is obviously tailor-made to draw pre-teenage girls (Oh, those locks! The "sexy-face" posing makes me laugh; reminds me of Zoolander), but I do like fantasy, I do like C.S. Lewis, and I do like Christian allegories, so I'll be there.

MAY 22
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull: If you're not excited about this, you and I need to talk about the sad direction your life is going. I saw the brand-new trailer on Friday, and danged if Harrison Ford doesn't look five years older than the last movie, instead of twenty! Ford is back, Spielberg is back, Lucas is back (producing, which he actually does well), John Williams is back, and Karen Allen as Marion (the best Indy girl) is back. Add Shia Labeouf (I don't understand the haters; he's great. He was the best thing about Transformers), Cate Blanchett, evil Russians, some possibly alien mythology, and a story that, like Rocky Balboa, wisely ages its hero to reflect reality, and you've got some awesome awesomeness coming atcha!

JUNE 6
Kung-Fu Panda: Trailer didn't do it for me, but its Dreamworks, and it has the vocal talents of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, and Jackie "The Man" Chan. I'll give it a shot. Why not?

You Don't Mess With the Zohan: I like Adam Sandler okay. He's had some great ones (Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer), and some major crappers. But this looks so wonderfully bizarre, and the trailer had me giggling pretty good. Sandler stars as a former Israeli militant who becomes a hair stylist. Looks like goofy fun.

JUNE 13
The Happening: AKA "How Shyamalan Got His Groove Back." Rumor has it that this is hands down the scariest thing he's done since The Sixth Sense, and the awesome trailer (people throwing themselves off of a building?) shows that M. Night is done with children's tales. Mark Wahlberg and Zoey Deschanel (Elf) star. I've heard this may be his first R-rated movie. Sad if true, but I could see how; this is truly scary stuff.

The Incredible Hulk: From the director of The Transporter? Right away, you know this won't have a lot of substance. But then again, it does star Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, and William Hurt, so who knows? All I know is that I need the artsy-fartsy aftertaste washed out of my mouth from Ang Lee's Hulk misfire a few years ago. Hulk smash! Should at the very least be dumb fun.

JUNE 20
Get Smart: I loved this show as a kid. Steve Carrell, Anne Hatheway, The Rock, and Alan Arkin star. Hopefully its got the script to match its talent. Carrell, when he's on, is awesome. As is The Rock (if you're snickering at me, then you haven't seen his performance in The Rundown, which is surprisingly funny.)

JUNE 27
Wall*E: It's Pixar. Need I say more? They have a perfect track record (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, etc.) Plus he looks so cute!

JULY 2
Hancock: Will Smith (AKA the world's last bankable movie star) as a drunken loser of a superhero. Could be hilarious, or it could misfire. We'll see. I like the whale gag, though. AND Arrested Development's Jason Bateman is in it, which is always a good sign.

JULY 11
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army- I wasn't a huge fan of the original Hellboy when I first saw it, but its charm and wink-wink humor, along with fantastically creative design (creatures, sets, wardrobe) have grown on me. I'm pretty stoked for another round, especially since this one seems to be an improvement (a-la Spiderman to Spiderman 2, or X-Men to X2).

JULY 18
The Dark Knight: You've heard of BTS cake? This is poised to be a BTS movie. I'm trying so hard to rein in my expectations. It's only a movie. It's only a movie. It's only a movie. Heath Ledger's final performance is supposed to be one for the ages.

Mama Mia: Meryl Streep, Collin Firth, and Pierce Brosnan? Check? Gorgeous locales? Check. Abba music? Check. Should be fun.

JULY 25
The X-Files: I Want to Believe- I never watched the show growing up, but have since fallen in love with it on DVD. The movie is a standalone adventure to be enjoyed both by die-hard fans and newcomers. I love The X-Files: it's creepy, it's smart, and it has a sharp sense of humor.

AUGUST 1:
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor- I like the Mummy movies okay. This one really has me interested, because we're now dealing with a Chinese mummy, played by Jet Li. Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Supercop, Tomorrow Never Dies) is in it. Brendan Fraser returns, as does the sidekick, but Rachel Weiss has been replaced my Maria Bello (also a great actress, but the continuity error is glaring), and director Rob Cohen (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, The Fast and the Furious) has stepped in. This is all so bizarre, I can't wait to at least see what comes of it. It could be a colossal failure, it could be fun, it could be both.

MOVIES I DON'T WANT TO SEE

The Love Guru: I'll be the first to admit, the trailer had me laughing (the Oscar-speech bit was priceless), but it looks like this will be too much like Austin Powers; you'll laugh a lot, but feel guilty for seeing it. Too raunchy.

Wanted: Am I the only one who thinks this looks too stupid for words? I might see it, if its so bad that its good, like The Transporter 2. As it is, this Angelina Jolie vehicle looks crappy, not craptacular. Plus, she needs to eat some cheeseburgers, fast. Looks like she wandered out of a POW camp.

Next week I'm back in AZ baby!

Butt-pickin' Barbeque, NO RESERVATIONS review, more!

2008-04-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Great week! My supervisor (Tommy) and his wife held a good old fashioned "Butt-pickin' barbeque" at their place this week for faculty, therapists, students, and friends. I'm with you: I didn't want the words "Butt-pickin'" in the title of any food event I would be attending! Turns out it had nothing to do with wedgies. "Butt" is because we were eating rump meat, "pickin" is because everyone picked and ate the tender, shredded meat straight off of the grill (we washed our hands first!) It was fantastic, actually, and they had a lot of other sumptuous stuff to round out the meal. It was great to relax with friends.

In other news, I am now a therapist...with training wheels. I'm always supervised, but I meet with my own clients and handle my own cases, both here at our clinic and also at a juvenile detention center. I really love it, its the highlight of my week. We had a statewide conference for the Alabama Association of Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists this week. I am at the bottom of the ladder, but I did feel like part of a larger community. I even met a therapist who was involved in film-making before he switched over (sound familiar?) The man did a low-budget Civil War bodice-ripper in the 80's about a Southern widow who falls for a wounded Union soldier in a movie called Rebel Love. Though he didn't seem particularly proud of the finished product, we had a good laugh together. What a genuine and friendly bunch of people.

In other news, we had a powerful Young Single Adult sacrament meeting about the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost was absolutely poured out, and I felt my spirits renewed.

Finally, in a week I will officially have a year of graduate school under my belt. We're having an open-air cinema premiere of CTU:PROVO here! Best of all, my BFF Tim will be here visiting his parents in Georgia, and we're gonna party here in Auburn!

Favorite "Office" quote of the week:

PAM: "We only have one master key and one spare key to the office. Dwight has both of them. When I said 'Dwight, if you die, how will we get into the office?' he said: 'If I die the rest of you have been dead for weeks.'"

DVD REVIEW: No Reservations

The Gist: Charming little romantic comedy breaks no new ground, but wins major points for not pandering to melodrama, but instead giving its audience an honest, touching, and yes, uplifting little story. **** (out of five) Rated PG (mild language and innuendo).

The Full Scoop: I am convinced that professional movie critics often will not like something if it is simple, straightforward, and has an uplifting message. Many appear to only like something "edgy," "new," or envelope-pushing. How else can one explain the lukewarm critical reception for the charming little film No Reservations, a romantic dramedy starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, BYU-grad Aaron Eackhart, and Signs' wonderkid Abigail Breslin (who, BTW, looks startlingly like my niece Abby)?

Overlooked in theatres, this is a good "date night, couch cuddle" movie. I will stay away from spoilers, but suffice to say that I very much enjoyed this movie for its realistic and thorough approach to grieving, family, healing, and falling in love. On paper, the plot seems formulaic and typical Hollywood, but it works because the three main characters, who admittedly seem like one-dimensional caricatures initially, are all fleshed out subtly and believably as the film goes on. Zeta-Jones (often far too glamorous for me to see her as anything but a sex symbol) gives a solid, very grounded performance in this film: she's selfish and selfless, she's confident yet vulnerable, she's bright but can be ditzy...in short, she's human. Abigail Breslin continues to be the best child actor working today (sorry, Dakota Fanning) with a performance that is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and very real. Aaron Eckhart (to be seen in The Dark Knight this summer), is extremely likable, charming, and, as is often the case in chick flicks, an obvious blue-print for what women want men to be, act like, say, and feel. That's okay; we're men, we work well with blueprints.

His romance with Zeta-Jones plays out without a lot of fanfare, which is why I liked it. It feels like the type of unforced process that happens in the real world. Of course it starts with the standard "love-hate" scenario and near the end there's a crisis that threatens to drive them apart, but to the film's credit, neither cliched plot device occupies a lot of screen time. Instead, the bulk of the drama comes from the more realistic tragedy that brings these three people together. The comedy, as well, plays out more like the comedy that occurs in real life. This is not a knee-slapping, hilarious romantic comedy a la While You Were Sleeping, but it's not meant to be. No Reservations doesn't break any new ground, but it does display the beautiful aspects of our humanity without forcing it. Most romantic comedies are fairly predictable; you know exactly what you're going to get, and if you like the genre (and I do), you are rarely disappointed. No Reservations, however, has the distinction of being a bit more subtle, more straightforward, more real, and carries a bit more depth than most. Like the food of the film's plot, it's very much the same as similar dishes you've enjoyed; this one is just particularly good.

NEXT WEEK: CTU PROVO's Southern premiere, Iron Man review, more!

THE PAST YEAR...in pictures

2008-04-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, I realize I've been going to town with this blog thing, but after this, my plan is to do a short blog entry once a week. But before that, my affectionate family has been badgering me for Alabama pictures. So here goes. The past year of my life in pictures.

BYU GRADUATION
It was bittersweet. I wish Mom could've been there (and perhaps she was), but Dad, Tim, and my grandparents came to cheer me on, only to find themselves in a three-hour reading of names. I brought two Harry Potter books to pass the time.

DECKER FAMILY REUNION

In Southern Utah (one of my favorite places; gorgeous!). From hikes to natural spring swims to talent shows and visits to The Tuacahn Theatre. Good times. Love this family.

CTU PROVO PRODUCTION (download the movie free at http://www.ctuprovo.com/)

Basically how I spent my summer. Man, this was a blast to make (but that's probably because I only had to worry about acting and fight choreography. Ask Alan if he had fun as director/producer/actor/co-writer/editor).

The final fight sequence is one that I'm immensely proud of. Poor Jenna. She was barefoot in that disgusting parking lot. We shot it over two days, and it was freaking exhausting.

=
Yes, that is a green screen in the background. Filming a three-person fight in the confined space of a moving van was too impractical. What IS real is when I'm hanging from the van door at 40 mph with no safety cables or nets. We did a lot of really fun, daring stunts in this movie. I jumped from a moving vehicle, Alan got hit by a car, I got pulled down a flight of concrete stairs, he spent a day freezing and wet in the snow with nothing on but a t-shirt and jeans, I did a jump from 12 feet up onto cement (twice), he had his head smashed through a window (the window actually explodes milliseconds before his head connects, but the glass does really burst and shatter all around his head), and I walked on a narrow stip of concrete 20 feet above the ground with no safety net.

This was the first day of filming for me. Tim is so funny.

THE FAMILY'S NAUVOO TRIP

Honoring what turned out to be Mom's final wish, we all took a trip to Nauvoo together. It was truly special to be in the City of Joseph, to go to Carthage and to the temple, just my siblings, their spouses, and my dad. We even managed to find sitters for the nieces and nephews for a few days! So much fun.

This was built for four people. We crammed nine of us into there!

I guess we were mocking that statue.

The House of the Lord. Holiness to the Lord.

FINISHING WITH DIVINE COMEDY

My very last act in Provo was a DC show. Literally! I performed Saturday night, and I left for Alabama on Sunday morning. We did a special all-musical show, gathering cast members from as far back as 13 years for an unprecedented event. All four shows sold out; I can't think of a better way to end my time in Utah.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA

Dad and I drove across the country. It was disgusting humid when I got here, and bugs were everywhere. But Alabama soon grew on me. For one, football is religion here. Like you wouldn't believe!

TAILGATING

On game day, tens of thousands of people flock to Auburn, set up their tents on any patch of grass they can find (lining the streets, covering the campus), and start grilling meat! These were the best ribs I have ever had.

FRIENDS

Southern hospitality is very real. Friends are made quickly and easily among a genuine, open, social people. I roll basically with two crowds. The YSA's from Church and the friends I've made at work/school (I'm employed by the University).

ACHMI

I work for the Alabama Community Healthy Marriage Initiative, a government-sponsored program designed to lower divorce rates. We also work to increase statewide awareness of how to have healthy marriages and families through free relationship education courses, ad campaigns, electronic and print media, and initiatives with youth. ACHMI rules. We're a pilot program, and our template will likely soon be adopted by other states. We had an essay contest where 8th-graders wrote about "The Healthiest Marriage I Know." Winning essayists from across the state, and the couples they wrote about, were invited to a banquet at the governor's mansion (where we all hid from a tornado. True story).

THE BRANCH

We have about 70 active members in a mixed single/family branch (we're all university students). Our building is gorgeous, and it's brand new. Before last year, the branch met above a bar! We had a great Christmas choir concert, and two weeks ago we had a really fun campout. I teach Sunday School and love it.

THE WEDDING

Went to Arizona for Dad and Carol's temple wedding. My family size just doubled. Carol is my mom's cousin, so her kids are my second cousins. After the ceremony, I put my foot in my mouth when I said to my stepsiblings: "Well, I guess we're family," to which they responded: "Dude, we were already family." I'm not the sharpest guy.

ODIN

My buddy's dog. I once saw him run headfirst, full-speed, into the side of a moving vehicle. He just shook it off and kept bounding around!

HALLOWEEN

The Marriage and Family Therapy students and the Human Development/Family Science students had a class party. Graduate school became elementary school for one glorious day. I was Rocky Balboa. My bud Alyssa (next to me) was a "Deviled Egg." Brian (kneeling) had the day's best costume.

PITTSBURGH

This is a gorgeous city. The school flew us to an amazing conference for the National Council of Family Relations. We stayed at a posh place, ate well, and had some cake at a Greek place that Jacquelynn Kennedy Onasis called the best cake in the nation!

CALLOWAY GARDENS

200 acres of Christmas lights. You ride a tram, drink hot cocoa or wassal, listen to carols (and sing them). Great times.

CHRISTMAS BREAK

Highlights included dirtbiking with family in Arizona and snowboarding up at Sundance, Utah.

SNOW IN ALABAMA?!?

Not much, but it almost never happens, so it was a fun day.

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

Went to a rockin' church service at the Dexter Avenue church, where MLK was a pastor. Followed by a sobering visit to the Civil Rights Memorial, dedicated to those who stood up for equality and were killed by the Klan during the movement.

SPRING BREAK!

Spent a couple of days in Florida, hit the beach, saw real human bodies on display at a Mobile museum (no photography allowed), went for a hike with Alyssa, celebrated Easter with a big dinner at my buddy's family's farm/ranch.

THE SHI-SHI-SHINDIG

In preparation for The Forbidden Kingdom, my buddy (and fellow martial-arts enthusiast) Tiffany and I threw a party at my apartment, cooking Chinese food, eating fortune cookies and Chinese candy, decorating the place Asian-style, and watching a Jackie Chan/Jet Li double feature! We actually had about nine people crammed into my one-man apartment for the event, but she and I were the only ones who dressed up (hence the photo).

And there you have it! You're now caught up, and I can go week to week. I'm actually doing therapy now, and I absolutely love it. Thanks for reading!

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THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM Review

2008-04-21T14:05:00.001-07:00

In a Nutshell: come for the Jackie Chan/ Jet Li face-off, but stay for the surprisingly enjoyable fantasy tale. Not a perfect film, but certainly a fun night out at the movies. If you don't like fantasy or martial arts, you may be turned off, but those who appreciate either will have a ball.
* * * 1/2 (out of five)

The Full Scoop: If you expect me to hold a predisposed favorable bias toward a movie pairing Jackie Chan and Jet Li, you'd be right. Knowing that this film had a 7-minute brawl between these two icons, I was prepared to pay full admission for that one scene alone, even if the rest of the movie were total crap. To my surprise, however, the rest of the movie is actually a very enjoyable fantasy, a journey in the vein of The Wizard of Oz (if Dorothy were a Boston teen, the red-slippers were a fighting staff, and the villains weren't disposed of by water, but by a huge, tag-team a**-whooping!). The film has the tone of the great family-friendly adventure movies of the 80's, the ones that captured the imaginations of kids and adults alike. I'm talking The Goonies, The Karate Kid, The NeverEnding Story, Willow, and to a lesser extent, The Flight of the Navigator. This movie reminded me of the movies that I loved as a kid (and still love today.) Stir that up with 70's kung-fu movies, a little dash of Disney morality (the movie was directed by The Lion King helmer Rob Minkoff), gorgeous cinematography of rugged Chinese landscapes, fight choreography by Yuen Wo Ping (who did the fights for Crouching Tiger and The Matrix trilogy), some Chinese mythology, and a handful of comedic scenes ranging from amusing to hilarious, and that's what this movie is.

The screenwriter is an American who is also a student of Jet Li's, and it's obvious that he loves Chinese culture, mythology, and cinema. This film is an obvious love letter to all of that, and you should know going into it that it's meant to introduce Western audiences to the characters of Chinese legends. The Greeks had Hercules and Zeus, Americans have Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed. The Chinese have their own mythical heroes and villains (mostly unfamiliar to us) who are thrown together in this movie: The Monkey King, The Bride With White Hair, etc. If you watch it with the wrong mindset, these characters might seem silly; however, if you watch it the same way you'd watch a film like The Wizard of Oz, the characters are great fun. I loved Jet Li's playful performance as The Monkey King (both he and Jackie Chan have dual roles in this), and The Bride With White Hair is such an enjoyably evil villain, I want to learn more about her mythology. I especially loved the musical motiff for her; the movie's score is often beautifully symphonic, but whenever she comes on screen, it sounds more like a riff for the villain in a spaghetti western or in a Tarantino film. It was intentionally campy and over the top and I loved it.

The other villain is played by Collin Chou, who Matrix fans will recognize as Seraph in the two sequels. He and Jet Li have a sweet little brawl. Which leads me to the main event. The action! I must admit, I was worried. Jackie Chan is now 54 years old, and Jet Li is in his mid-40's. The paltry action in Rush Hour 3 had me sadly resigned to the belief that Jackie was now officially too old to do good action scenes. Thank you, Yuen Wo Ping, for proving me wrong (and curse you, Brett Ratner, for dumping on the Jackie Chan legacy!) Jackie is at least 10 years past his prime (maybe 15), and Jet is 5-10 years past the same himself. However, I compare them to the Millenium Falcon: there's years' worth of wear and tear, but they've still got it where it counts and can jump into hyperdrive when necessary. Both can still throw some mean kicks, but it's the fisticuffs (especially when they go head to head) that had me in awe. There are some gorgeous punching/blocking combos going on here! All of the fights are very good (heck, even the kid holds his own after some amusing Karate Kid/Young Master-style training). Jackie's fight in a tea house and Jet's fight vs. Collin Chou are both noteworthy. But its the long-awaited, 7 minute-long rumble between Jackie and Jet that is the film's highlight. Yes, it's seven minutes, but it only feels like three, it goes by so fast (I mean that as a compliment). True, this showdown might have been even better ten years ago, but both athletes are obviously pushing each other here, and they bring out the best in each other. Die-hard Chan devotees will thrill at seeing him briefly bust out his famous "drunken boxing" style against Jet Li, though casual film-goers may not recognize it.

Normally I'm opposed to any type of wirework in a movie with Jackie Chan. His raw athleticism speaks for itself (he don't need no stinking tricks)! However, I'll make an exception here, because Yuen Wo Ping's wirework: 1) actually accentuates his actor's athleticism, rather than compensating for a lack thereof, and 2) is often in the fantasy realm, so supernatural moves are more acceptable. The fights in this movie are definitely in Wo-Ping's style; sorry Chan-fans, there's not a lot of comedic prop-fighting, wall climbs, or death-defying stunts here. On the plus side, people who think Chan is an acrobatic clown who can't do real martial arts can finally shut up after this, as he expertly demonstrates various styles here. Jet Li, of course, kicks all kinds of trash. The film is very much a Jackie Chan film in terms of comedy (Jet Li even has a few wonderfully funny moments), but the fights are more in the Jet Li, Yuen Wo-Ping sensibility. The sound design on the fights is wonderful, with some meaty punches. Chan's English is noticeably improved, broadening his comedic abilities beyond physical comedy and into the realm of legitimately well-delivered English dialogue.

Of course, the film is not perfect. I don't want to gush on and on about what is, after all, nothing but a fluffy popcorn movie. Some of the dialogue is laughable. Much of the story is cliche and has been done before, both in other fantasy movies and in the collective Chan/Li canon. And the film drags at times. What matters, though, is that it always picks itself up. Just when nothing good has happened for a few minutes, a great comedic scene or fight occurs. The cast is all obviously having fun. Jackie Chan and Jet Li have a natural screen repoire. And yes, I even liked the teenage kid. All in all, this is a fun fantasy adventure that certainly doesn't have the depth of a Lord of the Rings, but has more than enough charm to merit a watch on the big screen.

BIENVENIDOS

2008-04-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

WELCOME, WELCOME!

Hey y'all. Welcome to my blog. This is designed for all of you who have an insatiable appetite for all things Jono. But since such people don't really exist, my contingency plan was to make it accessible to everybody else as well. Here you will find all the things you would typically find on a blog, with an extra twist: everything here is laced with that oh-so-subtle Jono wit and charm which you've come to know and love. Didn't do it for you, huh? Hmmm. Okay, well the real extra twist is that this blog will be frequently updated with my media reviews (mostly movies, but TV, music, books, and funny or noteworthy web sites will make occasional appearances). Today I'll also be giving you my review of the first Jackie Chan/Jet Li collaboration The Forbidden Kingdom, and an update on my new movie CTU: PROVO

ABOUT ME: A VERY BRIEF HISTORY

I lived the first 18 years of my life in Mesa, Arizona, the youngest of five children in a happy Latter-Day Saint family. Growing up I had several obsessions, among them Superman, Batman, sharks, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In high school I ran cross-country and track and became involved in film-making. (In fact, I am the pioneer of a new genre: the martial arts seminary film. Unfortunately it never took off like I wanted it to).

I had a great bunch of friends in high school ("The Regulators"), one of whom, Tim Whiting, has been my friend since time began.

I served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Southern Chile, spending two years sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and serving the people. Everyone says they loved their missions, and they mean it; I am no exception. It was on my mission that I started to really develop a love for helping people to better their lives and their relationships.

Afterwards I received my bachelor's in Psychology from Brigham Young University, further developing my love for social service as a youth counselor for at-risk teens for three and a half years. Great kids. I channeled my creative impulses into several film projects and was an actor/writer for two years with the popular BYU comedy troupe Divine Comedy; the highlight of which was performing in Hawaii! I didn't want to leave. My experiences performing with DC are among the happiest and most fun of my life.

During my last semester at BYU, my dear mother passed away. I won't delve into such a deeply personal matter here, but suffice to say I am grateful for a close and loving family, for the Gospel and the hope we gain through our Savior, and for good friends. I have always been blessed with good friends. I miss her very much. She continues to exert such a positive influence on me, and was a great mother, a dear friend, and, frankly, a pretty awesome therapist for all intents and purposes. I miss her laugh and humor. I am reminded of the words of Abraham Lincoln: "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."

My father has since remarried, and I couldn't be happier about his choice. Carol (my stepmother) is my mother's first cousin, was one of her best friends, and is a widow herself with five boys. Carol is a wonderful woman, a great companion for my dad, and a caring, compassionate, bright, and fun woman. Her kids are married and having children, as are my siblings, so all told there's something like 35 of us now! Yikes.

Graduating as an anomaly (unmarried from BYU; they wouldn't even refund my tuition!) I applied to and was accepted by Auburn University in Alabama. Auburn has a prestigious marriage and family therapy program, and I am blessed and honored to be going here. The South is growing on me, definitely, but I'll always be a Westerner in my heart. The South has excellent BBQ, but I need ready access to quality Mexican food! However, I absolutely love Southern people, culture, and living. The hype about their hospitality and friendliness is well-represented by the actual reality.

CTU PROVO

The biggest news I have is that CTU PROVO, the independent action-comedy I acted in last year, is finally done! The film is a 90-minute homage/parody of the TV show 24, though it's designed to entertain non-24 fans as well, and co-stars Donny Osmond, Rick Macy ("The Testaments"), Jimmy Chunga ("The Singles Ward"), many current and past cast members of Divine Comedy, and local talent like my friend (and "High School Musical" dancer) Charan Prabhakar. The basic premise: the United States Counter-Terrorist Unit (The titular "CTU") has a branch in Provo, Utah. Since no terrorist would target Utah Valley, the government uses the site as a dumping ground for inept (or at least underrated) agents. When a crazed eco-terrorist threatens the city, the understaffed CTU reluctantly accepts the help of a pair of die-hard "24" fans, whose knowledge of the show may come in handy. My friend (and co-star) Alan Seawright is the director; he and my Divine Comedy bud Ryan Croker penned the script. I served as lead actor and as principal fight choreographer.

The great news is the movie is available for free download at our website, for you to watch and share with friends! Just go to www.ctuprovo.com, click on "Download," and get er done! I think it turned out really well, and you'll be entertained. You can also check out our trailer at the site.