This is simultaneously the most awesome and terrifying experience I can imagine.

New movies are usually released to theaters every Friday, but who’s got 10 bucks these days to drop on a movie that may well be a load of crap? Given those odds, on Friday I offer an alternative on DVD that you can rent at your local video store (or in some cases, avoid at all costs). Some will be new releases, others you may have to hunt for, but all of them are available to light up your small screen should it be a lazy Friday night.

Land of the Lost

Last weekend, we spent a few days in Illinois with my friend Corey and his family.  Sunday afternoon, we sat down to watch a movie, and Corey raved about last summer’s Will Ferrell vehicle Land of the Lost.   Every review I’d read of the film was some variation on “awful,” and Corey’s cinematic taste hasn’t always matched up with mine (the three hours I spent watching Brazil remain among the most puzzling of my life), but we decided to give it a whirl.  I’m actually glad we did.  When it was over, Heather remarked “That might be the worst movie I actually enjoyed watching.”  That sums it up pretty well – I don’t know that I can call Land of the Lost a good movie, but it was fun.

The remake of the 70’s TV show stars Ferrell as Dr. Rick Marshall, an eccentric paleontologist with a bizarre theory about time warps holding the key to the future of humanity.  After a less than stellar interview with Matt Lauer on The Today Show, Marshall descends into obscurity, ridiculed by the scientific community.  He’s approached one day by research assistant Holly Cantrell (Anna Friel), who believes in his theory and has been inspired by his work.  She convinces him to build his time traveling device, eventually landing them in an alternate dimension – along with an unwitting amusement park worker (Danny McBride).  Once there, they struggle to survive the world’s bizarre environment and fight to stop Marshall’s work from being used to start an interdimensional war.

Yep, it’s as ridiculous as it sounds – intentionally so.  Perhaps no movie I’ve ever seen takes itself less seriously than Land of the Lost does.  That’s a good thing, and Ferrell’s humor is a nice fit for it.  His shtick is starting to get a little old – and it feels that way at times here – but in short bursts there are still few actors who are funnier.  Most of Ferrell’s movies have the feel of a giant inside joke to which we are outside observers, and this one is no different.  Sometimes they work (Blades of Glory), sometimes they don’t (Anchorman), and while Land of the Lost is somewhere in the middle, it’s closer to the former than the latter.  The whole film has a nice camp feel, and while some of the special effects are digital and pretty good (the T-rex and the brilliantly realized landscapes come to mind), some purposefully evoke the dated vibe of the old show (such as the reptilian Sleestak creatures).  It all combines to give the film a surrealist feel, and something about that tone paired with the comedic style just works.  It takes a while to get going (it wasn’t until about 30 minutes or so in that I started to really enjoy it), but once it establishes itself it’s not a bad quirky little comedy.  Fair warning to those who fondly remember watching the show on Saturday mornings – this movie isn’t for kids.  The content earns every bit of its PG-13 and pushes it a bit in spots.  It’s not on the level of a Judd Apatow comedy, but some viewers might find the language and sexual content a bit much, especially for a movie inspired by a kids’ show.  All-in-all, though, while Land of the Lost won’t be making anybody’s ten-best list and it won’t be a hit for everyone, if you aren’t already sick of Will Ferrell it’s worth a rental. – *** (out of 4)

Land of the Lost is rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and for language including a drug reference.

“The devil or the serpent can now build on her distortion. ‘You will not surely die,’ he says.  What he’s implying is ‘God is being selfish, threatening your potential.  God knows that if you eat of that tree you will be equal with him.  Your eyes will be open, you will acquire the knowledge of good and evil, you will become like God.’  He is flatly denying the idea that God would ever judge sin with death.  It’s interesting that it’s the doctrine of judgment that is the very first to be denied.  It frequently still is.”

- Liam Goligher, The Jesus Gospel

This is amusing and actually surprisingly insightful all at the same time.

HT: CP4Us

Mark Driscoll’s The Radical Reformission (which I read last month) served as a sort of manifesto of the mission he set out to follow in the planting of Mars Hill Church in Seattle.  If it was the manifesto, then his Confessions of a Reformission Rev. is the story of how that manifesto was worked out culturally, theologically, and ecclesiologically to bring Mars Hill to where it is today.  Radical Reformission was the “why,” Confessions is the “how.”  While both were great reads and valuable tools for anyone who wants to reach their culture with the gospel, Confessions ups the ante in just about every way and is the best work of Driscoll’s I’ve read yet.

Driscoll tells Mars Hill’s story from its humble beginnings in a borrowed youth room to its current explosion in influence and ministry in America’s least-churched city.  Each chapter of the book details a chapter in the church’s history, marked off by the number of people who made it up at the time.  In each, Driscoll details the struggles that marked that particular stage of the planting process, both for he as a pastor and for the church as a whole.  This structure flows really well and does a fantastic job of communicating to the reader how the church got from A to B. 

Since it’s a history of the church, the book is largely a collection of stories, which causes Driscoll the author to shine like I’ve never seen him before.  His blunt honesty, clever wit, and theological fidelity make him perfectly suited for a book like this.  It’s engaging from cover to cover.  He also seems to have matured a bit since the writing of The Radical Reformission, with more humility and introspection coming through in his words.  While there’s not really much in the way of new content for Driscoll from a theological or ecclesiological perspective, the book’s real power lies in the content of the story itself.  As a pastor, and especially now as a prospective church planter, I’ve often looked at large churches and wondered how on earth they became what they are.  Imagining my little congregation becoming a church like that seemed incomprehensible from a practical perspective.  Seeing the story of Mars Hill’s growth – in spite of Driscoll’s freely-admitted errors – hammers home the point that it is truly only God who grows his church.  Driscoll highlights the decisions that were key moments along the way, dispensing valuable wisdom to those who follow in his footsteps, but not for one moment over the course of the book do we lose the unmistakable impression that he realizes he was just riding along on God’s ride.  This combination of practical advice and strong theological perspective makes for a powerful read.  Church planters, pastors, deacons, and anybody with a pulse for the gospel or their church will find this a great resource.  I commend it to you.

“Power is like saltwater; the more you drink the thirstier you get.  The lure of power can separate the most resolute of Christians from the true nature of Christian leadership, which is service to others.  It’s difficult to stand on a pedestal and wash the feet of those below.”

- Chuck Colson

When I saw the results of the Conservative Political Action Conference’s straw poll over the weekend, I was both quite surprised and quite pleased.  Everybody always complains about wasteful spending and Washington needing drastic change, and Ron Paul’s actually a guy who would address those problems head on.  For all the clamoring about “change,” he’s a guy who would actually change some things.  I find him a refreshing politician (if such a thing exists), and I’m thrilled with the opportunity to vote for his like-minded son as a potential U.S. Senator from Kentucky this fall.  Have any thoughts on Paul or the rest of the potential field of 2012 challengers for Obama?  Sound off in the comments.

New movies are usually released to theaters every Friday, but who’s got 10 bucks these days to drop on a movie that may well be a load of crap? Given those odds, on Friday I offer an alternative on DVD that you can rent at your local video store (or in some cases, avoid at all costs). Some will be new releases, others you may have to hunt for, but all of them are available to light up your small screen should it be a lazy Friday night.

Down With Love

Last week, I didn’t get around to posting a featured film. So this week, I’ll jump on the Valentine’s Day train a little late and post a rom-com for any couples looking to rent something this weekend. Director Peyton Reid’s 2003 comedy Down With Love flew under the radar during it’s original release, but it went down as one of my favorite romantic comedies to date. Playing off of the Rock Hudson/Doris Day sex comedies of the 60s with brilliant effect, Down With Love pays homage to the genre while staying clever, stylish, and unique.

It’s the 1960s, and feminist author Barbara Novak (Renee Zellweger) is turning society upside down with her new book, Down With Love. She advocates women abandoning the girlish dreams that have put them behind in the workplace and using their intelligence and sexuality to take control of their lives. This infuriates writer and suave, swingin’ ladies’ man Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor), who makes it his mission to go undercover and romance Barbara, writing an expose that proves she’s a fraud who only wants what every other woman does. Catcher begins romancing Barbara and starts to reel her in, only to find that his feigned feelings start to run a little deeper than he’d planned.

Sure, the setup isn’t far from all the other romantic comedies out there, but let’s be frank – it is arguably the most formulaic genre out there. Where Down With Love soars is in the execution of the material. The film absolutely nails the style and feel of its inspiration, with the whole 60s vibe carrying over in characterization, cinematography, pacing and tone. Reed does such a good job helming this picture that you could drop Hudson and Day in instead of McGregor and Zellweger and they’d be a perfect fit. That said, both of the leads are fantastic, as is their supporting cast – especially David Hyde Pierce of Frasier fame as Catcher’s right-hand man. The musical choices nail the period, and there’s even an infectiously catchy musical number at the end sung by the two leads (who, incidentally, were both coming off performances in hit musicals). The movie is funny, charming, and simply one of those experiences that just leaves you with a big smile on your face when it’s over. I’m not a big fan of most romantic comedies, but this one is pitch-perfect. My only caveat in this review is the fact that my then-girlfriend-now-wife Heather really didn’t care for it. It put us in a bit of role-reversal mode, but I still maintain that this is a fantastic movie that deserved far more of an audience than it got. If you and your significant other find yourself looking for a rental this weekend, give this one a shot. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, even if my wife disagrees. – **** (out of 4)

Down With Love is rated PG-13 for sexual humor and dialogue.

Every now and then, you have one of those posts where anything you might add to a link would simply distract from the wanton hilarity of the link itself.   This is one of those posts.

I give you After the Rapture Pet Care.  And yes, it’s very, very real.

HT: Doug Wilson

File this one under “yes, he really said that.”  The legendary British musician was interviewed this week by Parade Magazine, and had this to say about Jesus…

“I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving.”

Hopefully, he’s referring to Levon’s son, because if he’s referring to the Biblical Jesus I can’t imagine what he bases that assertion on.  In honor of the occasion, though, I’m going to put out there several historical beliefs that I’ve long held but was afraid to put forward due to lack of evidence.  However, with Sir Elton having set this precedent, I’m ready to follow in his footsteps.  Here you go…

Plato invented football.

Abraham Lincoln believed cats to be the reincarnated souls of 12th-century sailors.

Genghis Khan thought that maple syrup was waaaaay better on pancakes than whipped cream.

See, armchair history is a blast!  Who needs historical evidence?  Just make unfounded assertions that sound provocative and insightful and people will print them in national publications!  God bless America!

Seriously though, Elton – and I say this as a guy who has your two-disc Greatest Hits album and has sung along with “Rocketman” more times than I care to admit – keep on singin’ and leave the theology to someone else.