i am paradox

Visual Liturgy

If you didn't already know, the amazing guys from over at Highway Video  have a new project team they have been working with called The Work of the People. They have some nice video they have put together for Christmas, Hurricane Katrina, and now Lent. Check em out if you haven't yet:

The Work of the People

Crash Collides into First Place !

"Wow!" Jack Nicholson gasped as he announced the winner of best picture and the cast and crew of "Crash" leapt up from their seats, hugging each other madly, playing out a scene of classic Oscar drama. A TV camera zoomed in on the key protagonist among them as director-screenwriter Paul Haggis mouthed the inaudible words, "Oh my God!"

Thus "Crash" became one of those rare gutsy underdogs that will be hailed forever for pulling off an impossible Oscar upset. Impossible because it defied the odds in every way. "Crash" was a low-budget indie released in May 2004, not in the last few days of 2005 eligibility so it could be fresh in voters' minds.

It didn't have the most nominations. Only three films in the previous 20 years had prevailed in the top race without having the most bids. Its director didn't win the helmer's Oscar, which usually lines up with best pic. It didn't even win any acting awards — another rarity. It didn't have a big Oscar campaign budget either, but it did have a shrewd studio chief behind it, Lionsgate boss Tom Ortenberg, who believed "Crash" could win if only academy members watched it, so he flooded Hollywood with the most DVD screeners ever.

At first he set a new record by shipping out 30,000 copies. Then, emboldened by its growing Oscar buzz, he shipped out 100,000 more to make "Crash" the first film ever sent to the full membership of the Screen Actors Guild.

Its best picture victory is a happy Hollywood ending for "Million Dollar Baby" scribe Paul Haggis, who, along with co-writer Bobby Moresco, were the only ones who didn't win an Oscar for their "Baby" last year when the script prize went to "Sideways."

Haggis had been a showbiz veteran who'd toiled in the TV trenches for decades writing and/or directing episodes of "The Facts of Life," "Love Boat" and "Walker: Texas Ranger." When he finally got the chance to direct his first feature, he had a heart attack in the midst of filming "Crash," but kept on going. When he finished it, the Canadian-born Haggis took it to the Toronto Film Festival where it created a sensation and reaped a distribution deal with Lionsgate.

"Crash" really zoomed ahead when it finally opened in theaters. It did what all great movies are supposed to do — it hung on week after week, gradually building an audience till it became one of the highest-grossing dramas of the year, earning $55 million. When it came out on DVD, it stayed at No. 1 on the sales charts for two full weeks, a rare accomplishment. Meantime, passionate supporters like Oprah Winfrey rallied behind it because it was such an extraordinary film.

"Crash's" A-list cast knew that from the beginning when they were first recruited by Don Cheadle to appear in the film for scale wages. Since it was made merely for $6.5 million, many sacrifices had to be made. Haggis used his own house for a film set. Sandra Bullock and others paid for their own airline tickets to fly to the set."

You can read the rest here .

Post Predictions Report

Oh well, I got 9 of them right, not too bad. And remember, I put these out in front of everyone, I didn't just keep them to myself !

Oscar Predictions

Best Picture
Brokeback Mountain

Best Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote

Best Actress
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line

Best Supporting Actor
George Clooney, Syriana

Best Supporting Actress
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener

Best Director
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain

Best Adapted Screenplay
Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, Brokeback Mountain

Best Original Screenplay
Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, Crash

Animated Feature
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Art Direction
Memoirs of a Geisha

Cinematography
Batman Begins

Costumes
Memoirs of a Geisha

Documentary Feature
March of the Penguins

Crash

"It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something."

The movie Crash is amazing. We saw it in theaters and recently watched it again now that's it on video. Simply amazing.

The Devil's Playground

Totally dug this independent documentary today, The Devil's Playground.  It's the real life account of what is known as Rumspringa, which means running around. When Amish children turn 16, they are allowed a rite of passage which last a few months or a few years, up until age 21. During this time, they can do anything: alcohol, sex, drive, use electricity, etc. They are expected to make their own choice during this period to either leave their lifestyle and faith, or to join the church. If they join the church, they must accept everything that comes with it: the clothing, the lifestyle, etc. If they do join the church but later leave, they will have to endure shunning, which is where everyone you know in the church will reject and ignore you.

If you want to know more, visit the links or watch the movie. I highly recommend it!

Movies and McLaren

Just discovered Cory Glover's blog called Rhythm. He just put up a great post on the new movie The kingdom of God and ties it in with McLaren's new work:the last word. Check it out here:

" When I first saw the trailer for Kingdom of Heaven, I was a bit anxious. I was not sure what direction Ridley Scott would be taking this, and I felt quite certain that it would be painful for me to watch as a follower of Christ. The Crusades were one of the many black marks on our tradition and I knew this would be exploited, but not sure to what extent.

After seeing the movie Friday night, my greatest fears were relieved, and I was overwhelmed with how amazing the movie was. The movie in and of itself was great, doing well to show all sides of the war as well as the factions that existed within the ranks on both sides (which were amazingly similar). You could see those people in leadership who desired peace and those who desired the “infidels” (the opposite of them) to either convert or be annihilated.

But I think the real reason I liked the movie so much was because I just finished reading Brian McLaren’s latest book, The Last Word and the Word After That. "

Read the rest: Making the Connection

Saved?

Surely you have seen the great film Saved!  by now, right? If not, hopefully you haven't stayed away simply b/c of the controversy since its premier at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004. 

"This film has offended Christian and non-Christian critics alike, although a few have found its satire funny and accurate. The creators of this film have been quite clear in their aims.  It seems the filmmakers have set out to expose the faults of legalistic Christians who are steeped in hypocrisy, and are intolerant of those who do not live up to their moral standards. However, the producers of the film have denied this, saying that ‘the film does not criticize Christians, religion, or faith."

Saved study guide and review

Chronicles of Narnia Movie

The website for the upcoming release of The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe  from Disney

Mel Gibson's Next Film: The Pope ?

Word on the street is that Mel Gibson's next project could well be on the Pope. According to the news, he sent a film crew to the funeral.  I think there has to be another side of this story, b/c the strict sect that he is a part of isn't a big fan of the late pope (at least that I remember). 

Link