Man on Steel (2013): Mormon Movie Review

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   Man of Steel is a reboot of the Franchise made famous in cinema by the late Christopher Reeve.  The Warner Bros. synopsis makes the story sound a little odd when taken at face value.  “A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.” 
   I was very conflicted on my opinion of this movie.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved it.  There were also some glaring flaws.  So in true D&C 121:43 fashion, let me give you a short list of my gripes before we give credit to the things praiseworthy.  There is some beautiful cinematography in this film, but there is one fatal flaw, shaky cam.  I was feeling a bit noxious at times a Superman flies around making the “cameraman” rumble.  As a result the view is blurred and the fine details obstructed. (See title photo) We also never really get to see the mind mannered adult Clark.  He seems to look more like a stand in for The Wolverine.  Lastly of my major issues, cookie cutter casting, more on that later.

To My Friends Who Didn't Make Troubadours (or anything else you strived for), It Gets Better!

 
  For those of you outside the Orange County area; Troubadours is the elite choir at Fountain Valley High School.  Those who pass the audition process are "kidnapped" in the night by members and paraded around school the next day. 

   I am sorry you tried out for Troubadours and didn't make it. I want to tell you, I know how it feels. I know how it feels to go to bed in your clothes or cool pajamas with your shoes by your bed just knowing they were coming for you. Waking up several times in the night thinking you've heard something. Then to finally be awoken by the rising sun as your hopes sink into despair.

   I remember going to school the next to see my classmates in slippers and silly clothes with signs prompting others to ask them to sing. I can still remember the embarrassment when I saw the posted roster revealing there was a vacancy in my section. It wasn't that I was out sung by better singers, but I just wasn't plain good enough.

They've Made a Huge Mistake: Arrested Development- Season 4 (2013): Mormon TV Review

We are lucky to feature today a Guest Post from Geoff Openshaw.  Some of you might recognize Geoff from his attempt to woo the Mormon Bachelorette, but you can how find him as the co-host of the popular LDS themed Podcast This Week in Mormons!  It is a weekly show discussing news and cultural items relevant to the Mormon community during any given week.
(You can also find Geoff if you Google image search "Virginity, I Choose You!")

Quality: 

**Warning - light spoilers below**

Experimentation is the vehicle by which society moves forward. Without experiments, there is no progress. Seen through that lens, the resurrection of Arrested Development  after being sent to pasture in 2006 should be a template for the future of television. Netflix seems like an ideal medium to demonstrate our streaming, commercial- and restriction-free, future. However, not all experiments yield good results, and while the new approach to Arrested Development is certainly bold, it is an exercise in the experiment disproving the hypothesis.

I wanted to love this season. I am a huge AD fan and have been since its Fox days. The hype surrounding its return has grown to near-mythic proportions, which certainly couldn't have done the revival any favors. But what has been regularly regarded as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time falls on its face in its new format.

Epic (2013): Mormon Movie Review

Quality:
   My wife is an awesome hair stylist and so she usually works on Saturdays.  That means me and the boys usually have Saturdays to have fun (barring a ward movie or service project).  This Saturday we went to see Epic!  I was a bit nervous after my experience with Wreck-It Ralph, but it was a real great time!

   In Epic a teenager named Mary Katherine (Amanda Seyfriend) finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their world, and ours.

Star Trek- Into Darkness (2013): Mormon Movie Review

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   I have always been a Star Wars guy.  I have seen all the movies and can tell you all about the characters and planets.  The only Star Trek movie I had seen was the one where they have to save the whales, which is why it is was the only one.  That all changed in 2009 with JJ Abrams’ Star Trek reboot.  If you missed it, you won’t need to see it to enjoy this film, but it could fill some gaps for you. (If you did miss it, Fandango will give you a free digital copy if you buy your ticket online)

Iron Man 3 (2013): Mormon Movie Review

Quality: 
 
   This review will be a little image light. I'm out at Fathers and Sons Campout, but had time to frame it up before I left. Now I'm watching my boy play as I write my review on my iPhone. Ain't technology grand?


   Iron Man 3 takes place shortly after The Avengers. Tony Stark (Iron Man) is haunted by the events that took place in New York City. Now a new threat appears and makes things personal for Tony. 

Netflix deleting and adding again - find out the scoop!

Apr 30, 2013 06:31 pm | melissa

Via Mashable and Slate
Tomorrow, May 1, 2013, Netflix will be pulling almost 2,000 Warner Bros titles from its catalog. To put this in perspective though, with over 300 movies in my queue, only 7 will come out. Slate has a recommendations list and InstantWatcher has the full list, but with this news, the site is probably overloaded, so check out their twitter.
So how about some good news: there's new stuff being added this month! I don't normally include TV, but thought I'd sweeten the deal. There's also another site, Instant Gratification, which proves to be generally accurate, there you can get the full list of what's being supposedly added. Here's what's coming:
FILM
Avail 5/3      
The Cabin in the Woods (2011) – Horror (screened for Cinemit members)
Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins
In this surprising spin on a classic horror setup, five friends arrive at a secluded cabin with clear instructions for their anticipated mountain getaway. But when the rigid rules are broken, punishment is swift -- and everyone will pay.
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