The Wolverine (2013): Mormon Movie Review

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   I chose the Spanish movie poster to represent this review of “The Wolverine” because Wolverine: Immortal is such a more fitting title.  Summoned to Japan by an old acquaintance, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) becomes embroiled in a conflict that forces him to confront his own demons.  Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.
    We were treated to a Wolverine film in 2009’s X-men Origins: Wolverine.  While that film is a prequel of sorts this film follows the events of X-men (3): The Land Stand.  Logan (Wolverine) has lost all purpose after the events of The Last Stand and lives a secluded live in the mountains of Alaska.  He is constantly haunted by nightmares of his lost love Jean Grey (Famke Janssen).  And I mean constantly! She has so much screen time she is featured in some of the movie posters.  Because I am fundamentally against the movie trope where a girl leave the good guy for the bad boy this relationship is continually problematic for me and I loathe seeing it on screen.  (See my pending article asking why is James Marsden the perpetual cuckold?)  

These Movie-Themed Engagement Photos Deserve an Oscar

Source: Mashable
When you're a professional wedding photographer, there's a lot of pressure to get the perfect shots of your own nuptials. So when photographer Joshua Watson and his then-girlfriend Rachel, who works in video production, wanted to take engagement photos for their June 1 union, they went above and beyond the typical photo shoot.

Inception

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!")

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**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

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   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)