Cloverfield

I am a very fortunate man, with a wonderful wife. She got me onto a VIP list which got me into a free midnight showing of "Cloverfield" on Thursday. And for an old guy like me, that was really late. But, oh, it was worth it.

The J.J. Abrams produced film is probably one of the most unique films I have ever seen. Part "Blair Witch Project", part "Godzilla", part "Aliens", this is a short but sweet thrill ride.

I'm still trying to figure out what kind of movie this is. Is it a monster movie or a love story. I'm tending toward a love story that just happens to feature a large sea creature that finds itself in New York with time on its hands. And a need for destruction.

The film centers around our main character Rob, who has taken a VP job in Japan. What follows is his buddy Hud with a handy cam filming his going away party, getting all his well-wishing friends on tape. Then all of a sudden, all hell breaks loose, starting with head of Lady Liberty landing in the street outside Rob's apartment building.

Just like most of J.J. Abrams projects, you are left with more questions than answers. Why is the creature destroying mid-town Manhattan? We don't know. It just is. And that is okay. Rob finds his motivation and drive for the film as he and his friends try to survive the onslaught in Mid-Town, and reach his romantic interest Beth who is trapped in her apartment across town.

The monster is well, just amazing. Director Matt Reeves and the writing crew do an amazing job at teasing us with the creature, because you never really get a good glimpse of it, just quick shots as it takes out a building or it gets bombed. Adding to the mayhem are German Shepard sized parasites that live on the creature. As the beast exits the sea, these spider-like bugs take a bite out of Manhattan as well. Mix all these elements together and you get some very intense scenes. The subway scene was my fave.

A word of warning though, if you have any kind of motion sickness at all, you might want to take your Dramamine before you go. Rarely do you get a still shot with this movie. Sure this movie is professionally done, but the vantage point is a man carrying a video camera. I have no motion issues at all, and even my stomach dropped a couple of times. I also found sitting leaning to the left at about a 30 degree angle with my head resting on my hand helped...

This is a novel film that is worth watching more than once. I can't wait to go see it again.

A Weekend Away

I'm currently blogging from The Country Inn in beautiful Camden, Maine.

Located just over an hour from our beloved mini-metropolis of Bangor, Camden is a mix of working harbor and a ritzy retreat.

The Missus and I have traveled down here with some friends to attend out annual marriage retreat. This years theme: Joined at the Heart.

Updates will be coming throughout the weekend. Last night we had a first session, which was sort of an ice breaker to meet the new couples attending for the first time (most of us have been attending the weekend for anywhere from 3 years to 8) and for our inspirational leaders to lay out the schedule of the weekend for us.

Up today: Breakfast, a session, lunch, a completely free afternoon and then "date night". Oh yeah...

Tastes Like Chicken

Hillsong- Saviour King

It is rare when you find an album that not only inspires your own personal worship time, but can be easily translated into a congregational singing experience, but Hillsong has delivered another standout. This is one of the best Praise and Worship albums I have come across.

While the songs are strong scripturally, they are simple enough to learn and sing along with, whether by yourself or in a group. "You Are My Strength", "Lord of Lords" and "Saviour King" are three highlights that I have already pulled the music from CCLI to add to our song book at church.

Darlene Zschech and her group do an amazing job blending the Hillsong youth sound with the regular Hillsong sonics to produce an album that is going to have wide reaching appeal with youth as well as those of us who are a little, well, "seasoned".

I've ordered the DVD of the concert where this album is recorded. So I'll follow up with a review of that when I get it.

This is an amazing album that anyone will find accessible, whether you are communing with God during a quiet time or during congregational worship at church. A must for any worship leader.

Biggest Hockey Mass Fight Jan 08, 2008

Wow, apparently Russian skaters do know how to fight.

Now, let's have a little more of this in our American hockey arenas...

Let it Snow...

We have gotten WAY too much snow this year so far, roughly around 40 inches in December. Now, living in Maine most would say, "That doesn't seem to bad considering where you live."

Yeah right! We haven't had this much snow all winter let alone in one month like this for years.

So, in light of all the white stuff and all the crappy winter related stuff that has happened so far (I got the Uncle Kurt's plow truck stuck in a ditch...), here are some pictures that I took during our weekend out on the hill.