Music Video: R.E.M. - "Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter" featuring Peaches

Music Video - Kraak & Smaak - "Squeeze Me"

New multisensory alt.worship blog

I haven't posted here for a while. It's just been boring and I haven't gotten any feedback lately.

I have started a new blog though. It's for something I'm passionate about, interactive worship experiences that are  multisensory and participatory in nature.

So, check out http:/www.worshipexperiences.blogspot.com. I'm hoping to get tons of people involved with it, but I've already posted a couple things myself.

Movie Trailer of the Week - Restless

Music Video of the Week: David Crowder Band - "SMS [Shine]"

I am a big fan of David Crowder and his eponymous band. In an age when contemporary Christian music is (in my opinion) at a low point in the ways of creativity, DCB frequently challenges the status quo with its music. Not only are they inventive with their songwriting and recordings, they are even inventive with their instruments. Watch this video of David playing a modded out guitar hero axe.

They've been the same with music videos in the past, but their new one for "SMS [Shine]" is good enough to have been featured on the world's most popular tech news site, engadget just a few days after it was released.

From the band: Created, directed, and photographed by the band, this video was created by using a LITE-BRITE® branded toy board and 700,000 pegs. The LITE-BRITE® screen images are not computer generated graphics or effects.

Movie Trailer of the Week: The King's Speech

For the past couple weeks I wasn't able to find a trailer that really stuck out to me. Nothing seemed blogworthy. So, I didn't post anything. But as awards season approaches, this week I had a hard time choosing from a slew of new movie trailers.

I could have chosen either of two upcoming Ryan Gosling films (All Good Things or Blue Valentine). I think Gosling is maybe the best young actor in the world right now. I could have featured a truly depressing trailer for Rabbit Hole , a film with two of my favorite actors Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart, that I'm sure will be uplifting in the end. I could have forgone all of the award-seeking fodder for Scream 4.

Ultimately, the trailer that resonated with me the most was for the film The King's Speech. The king in question is stuttering, stammering King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. He is played by Colin Firth, who I'm certain will be a multiple award nominee for this film.

The King's Speech, also starring Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Gambon, and Guy Pearce, releases Thanksgiving weekend on November 26.

Movie Trailer of the Week - The Coen Brothers' "True Grit"

How could a remake of True Grit from the Coen Brothers starring Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin and Matt Damon not be the trailer of the week? Watch the trailer and then watch the trailer of the 1969 original below.

Music Video of the Week: Darwin Deez - "Constellations"

My favorite new male artist of 2010 is Darwin Deez. I've already listed his two previous singles as Music Video of the Week. While his latest, "Constellations", may not be as amazing as those, it's certainly well worth the watch and is yet another catchy tune to get stuck in your noggin.

Movie Trailer of the Week - "For Colored Girls"

We may look back in a few years and realize that in his film making, as in his successful tours of stage productions, Tyler Perry blindsided us by sneaking in to pop culture as yet another black man in drag (re: Flip Wilson, Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, etc.), only to go on to make thought provoking Oscar-worthy films such as For Colored Girls.

It's been clear for some time now that Perry understands the African American woman just about as well as any man could. One need look no further for evidence than the fact he was able assemble the phenomenal cast of Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, Michael Ealy, Omari Hardwick, Hill Harper, Thandie Newton, Phylicia Rashad, Anika Noni Rose, Tessa Thompson, Kerry Washington, and Whoopi Goldberg.

For Colored Girls was adapted for the screen by Perry from the 1975 play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. The film hits theaters just in plenty of time for Oscar consideration on November 5th.

Music Video of the Week: Columbus - "Lovemachine"

The melody reminds me a bit of Kenny Loggins' "I'm Free (Heaven Helps The Man)" from Footloose. Always a good thing. The video reminds me of Videodrome meets Bladerunner meets Labyrinth meets the bone organ scene from Goonies .

Check out "Lovemachine" by German band Columbus.

Music Video of the Week: Jukebox the Ghost - "Schizophrenia"

Jukebox the Ghost played a show with my band, KNAPSACKHEROES! in Nashville a few years ago. If I remember correctly, the only audience Jukebox the Ghost had that night was KNAPSACKHEROES! and the only audience KNAPSACKHEROES! had that night was Jukebox the Ghost. Since then, JTG toured with Ben Folds and, this week, released their sophomore album, "Everything Under the Sun".

They're really great and it's good to see them doing well. Watch the video for their song "Schizophrenia" below. Then go download their song "Empire" for free at Amazon.

SNL Announces 2010-2011 Hosts

I don't know when this became an entertainment blog...but since it sort of has been lately, I thought I'd post some news about Saturday Night Live

While I'm sad Will Forte and Jenny Slate are leaving the show, the 2010/2011 season of SNL is shaping up to be a good one. The following people have been announced as hosts:

• September 25 - Amy Poehler will host the 36th season's premier with musical guest Katy Perry.
  
  
• October 2 - Bryan Cranston & Kanye West - I am so excited about this one. Every time I see Bryan Cranston interviewed on a late night show, I think, "He should totally host SNL!" He may be the Emmy winner for acting in a drama, but I also remember how funny he was on Seinfeld, King of Queens, and of course, Malcolm In The Middle.
  
  
• October 9 - Jane Lynch & Maroon 5 - It was bound to happen. She's been hysterical in everything she's done from Best In Show to 40 Year Old Virgin to Glee.
  
  
• October 16 - Justin Long & Owl City - I'm so happy Justin's not just known as The Mac Guy. He's never hosted, but he did a decent impersonation of Matthew McConaughey when his girlfriend and Going the Distance co-star Drew Barrymore hosted last season.
  
  
• October 23 - Emma Stone - She's very naturally funny and that's shown through in movies like Zombieland and The House Bunny.
  
  
• December 4 - Lindsay Lohan? - She's in talks to host again. If the VMAs were the start of her comeback, this may be a continuation of that. She's hosted three times in the past, in 2004 with Usher, in 2005 with Coldplay, and 2006 with Pearl Jam. She's been funny every time. Anybody remember the first Debbie Downer sketch?
  

NBC has also announced that new cast members include Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain, Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah.

Movie Trailer: Country Strong

Earlier this year, on a stretch of incredibly cold days, I filmed several scenes as an extra in a movie called Love Don't Let Me Down. A few months ago it was announced the title was changed to Country Strong.

The film stars Gwyneth Paltrow as former queen of country Kelly Canter, Tim McGraw as her manager/husband/producer, and Garrett Hedlund and Leighton Meester as up and coming country singers.

Well, the trailer came out yesterday and no, I'm not in it...at least as far as I can tell. I'm not sure what I think about the trailer. It seems to me they could have done a better job with the editing. Hopefully the film will be better. It hits theaters January 7, but I'm sure they'll screen it in L.A., New York, and probably Nashville before the end of the year so they can get Oscar consideration.

UPDATE: You can see me in the trailer. I'm at the tall guy in a black hat holding a camera at 1:36 behind the lady in yellow.

Let me know what you think:

Music Vid of the Week: Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - "The Bike Song"

You may remember back in June when I featured Mark Ronson & The Business Intl's "Bang Bang Bang" as music video of the week. I said I wanted to hug Mark then. I want to hug him more now that I've seen the continuation.

Yes, "The Bike Song" is a continuation, not a sequel. Think of the months between as a really long commercial break.

"The Bike Song" features a bleach blonde Mark (well, his hair is white really) riding a bike. It also has Kyle Falconer of The View (the band, not the show; but you could probably surmise as much) singing, littering (twice) and riding a bike. And there's Spank Rock rapping, flirting and--you guessed it--riding a bike.

The whole thing looks like a French movie that was clearly transferred to VHS before being uploaded to the interwebs. Oh, and the song is great too.

Movie Trailer of the Week - "Tomorrow When The War Began"

I'm not sure what it is about Tomorrow When The War Began that makes me want to see it. It's not my typical fare. There's something about it that reminds me of an eighties movie I'd watch on WGN curled up on the couch on a Saturday afternoon.

It debuted at number one last weekend in Australia. Unfortunately, there is no American release date listed on the IMDB page for the film. So, perhaps I'll have to curl up on the couch and watch the DVD.

Music Video of the Week: Master Shortie - "Bringing It Back"

Movie Trailer of the Week - 127 Hours

I'm a big fan of Danny Boyle. He's never made a bad movie. Actually, he's never made a movie that wasn't great. His follow up to Slumdog Millionaire is 127 Hours, the true story of Aron Ralston. If you don't remember Ralston's name, you might remember his story. He's the he mountain climber who had to amputate arm to free himself after being trapped by a boulder while climbing a Utah mountain. I've been wondering how Boyle would make this harrowing tale (Ralston describes it here) into a film that was enjoyable to watch. Maybe, because of his heartwarming tales like Slumdog and Millions, I forget he came to fame with films like Shallow Grave and Trainspotting.

I've been a fan of James Franco since Freaks & Geeks and think that, despite the fact he looks nothing like Aron Ralston, he's the kind of actor who could carry a film like this.

What do you think?

Movie Trailer of the Week - "It's Kind of a Funny Story"

Music Video of the Week: American Bang - "Wild and Young"

There's nothing spectacular or new about this video, I just really, really love this song! Check out Nashville boys American Bang with their song "Wild and Young".

Movie Trailer of the Week - Catfish

Wow. This looks like...well, I mean...um...is it a documentary?
Oh, no it's like a Blair Witch type thing.
Entertainment Weekly called it a documentary.
Oh, no it's fiction.
Or...um. Huh?
What's it called?
Catfish.
Why?
No idea.
Does the Facebook page say more?
No, not really. Well, maybe.
The poster says, "Don't let anyone tell you what it is."
What is it?
I don't know but it looks good.
Yeah, it does!