Just a brief notice, we are going to be doing many more video reviews for the page. While there will be the ocassional written review, most will be video via our page The Movie Guys. I encourage you to check out the links below and subscribe to the channels. We are pleased to be working with Wichita State University and their Shocker Studio along with Teen View Magazine. We will be filming the shows at the studios and Teen View along with staff from Shocker Studios will be assisting in the production of the shows. You can find out more about Shocker Studios by checking out their Facebook page at the following link:
I certainly thank you for your support of this work over the years and as things grow and get bigger and better, we want you to know, we will continue to listen to you and appreciate your input and views. We also encourage you again, to please subscribe to our other blog pages and our pages regarding The Movie Guys.
BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR OUR NEW CHILDREN'S BOOK, HAROLD THE ANGEL, NOW AVAILABLE AT AMAZON, BOOKS A MILLION, BARNES & NOBLE AND OTHER MAJOR RETAILERS, OUR BOOK THE KEYSTONE KID IS ALSO STILL AVAILABLE AT MOST MAJOR RETAILERS AND IS A TERRIFIC READ.
The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry. Believe me, there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work. Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.
You can also order the book at all major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and so forth. It is available via e-book for .99 Cents or if having a way to download, can download the full audiobook at soundcloud.com and simply going to Mike Furches / The Keystone Kid. The audio version of the book is available for a free download.
There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free audio book link of The Keystone Kid at mike@furches.org You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/.
Hopefully, you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word. Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew
1249 N. St. Francis
Wichita Kansas, 67214
Email: mike@furches.org
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
I did something last night I haven’t done in several years, I sat down and watched the Academy Awards for movies made I the year 2015. 2015 was a year I had seen quite a few of the films nominated in various categories, but as is normally the case, not all of them.The television show and some of the comments I had seen on Facebook moved me today to mention again, my thoughts about movies and the good they can do.
A number of years ago now, close to 11 as of this writing, I was taking a 10-year-old boy to the movies. The boy’s name was Tyler Graebner, he was dying of cancer. I wrote then an article that was later on used for the forward of a book on movie reviews about the good movies can do, like how they inspired Tyler who was going through chemo and radiation treatments at the time and was wearing a stocking hat to cover his bald head. The movie Fat Albert by most measures was not a great movie, but the night I took Tyler, that movie as imperfect as it was, earned a spot in my heart that will endure for my lifetime on this planet. It motivated and showed Tyler that it was okay to be bald, he had nothing to be ashamed of.
I have seen other movies that have moved me, most recently was the movie 13 Hours, it was a movie that shows that movies can provide a truth that is not always provided by politicians and the press corps that sometimes have their own agenda to drive, placing the truth sometimes in a distant second or even further back as to the intent of the stories that are written to persuade a public. We have seen those political benefits in other places, though, places like documentary movies that show the reality of the world we live in and sometimes, the things that bring others harm.
There are other movies, though, movies like Precious,Prince of Tides, or even this year’s winner for Best Picture, Spotlight that deals with the powerful theme of child abuse. We even see movies many hate like 50 Shades of Gray that show the impact of this horrible crime.
There are other movies, though, movies like The Notebook that can show the power of love among an older couple, the impact of Alzheimer’s, then there was the documentary about Glenn Campbell, I’ll Be Me.These types of movies can bring awareness to horrid diseases, their impact and more that can move a nation and a people to care and act to eradicate that disease.
I think of the Oscar Winner for Best Picture Shine, that can educate about the reality of a horrid disease impacting 1 out of every 10 Americans, Mental Illness.We can see the potential, the hope, the promise, the reality that the disease often falsely presented impacts individuals with families, mothers, fathers, children, spouses, many with an incredible talent. We learn to see the potential as opposed to the false representation sometimes presented in other mediums, including, unfortunately, sometimes, film.
I could go on and on about how movies have had a positive impact on society. We seem to at times love to bash “Hollywood” whoever, and wherever Hollywood is, but we can so easily ignore the reality that there is often also much good that can and does come about from movies. As a person whose faith is important, I have also heard, first hand, Billy Graham talk about how more people have come to faith in Christ than they ever did from his crusades.
Jesus used the concept of story to teach, in fact, in the book of Mark in the Bible it says, “He never taught them anything without first telling them stories after he had told them the stories he would explain the meanings.”I recall dear friend and former college professor Bev Holmskog illustrating that in the 1980’s movies were the most popular form of storytelling on the planet. It occurred to me then, early on, it would be more productive to find a way to use that medium to change lives, to make a difference. Later on due to the influence of dear friend David Bruce who has garnished recognition for his work in the Christian world of reviewing and finding spiritual truths in film that we could use film to find a way to build bridges to point others to truth. For me that made perfect sense, I never doubted the potential as I had I felt been given a special insight from God to see these truths and knew of the importance of using those truths when there, to point others to The Truth, Jesus.
I know, movies aren’t perfect, but neither are they the evil so many and unfortunately still in 2016, even some Christians present them to be. Where there is truth, there is the possibility to shine light, whether that be the light of justice that comes from racial prejudice and inequality or greed that can sometimes come about from a society of people who seem to care more about self-gain than they do world peace and legitimate understanding.
I have seen the power of movies in all of these areas and more, I am thankful for the light God has given me in understanding these realities, I never see a movie without asking prior to seeing it for God to show me a truth that will make my life, and the life’s of those around me better. I have found a God who is fully capable of doing that.I pray that others will as well.Movies are a medium that God not only can use but has used to strengthen and grow the life of the seeker who seeks to find and discover the spiritual truths provided by Jesus in their own lives.
What movies have impacted your life or the life of others you are close to?
My Own Story in Part in Film, The Long Walk, (Caution Adult Content)
The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry. Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work. Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.
You can also order the book at all major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and so forth. It is available via e-book for .99 Cents or if having a way to download, can download the full audio book at soundcloud.com and simply going to Mike Furches / The Keystone Kid. The audio version of the book is available for a free download.
There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free audio book link of The Keystone Kid at mike@furches.org You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/.
Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word. Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew
1249 N. St. Francis
Wichita Kansas, 67214
Email: mike@furches.org
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Some speculate that cartoons and animation is the same thing, unfortunately, because of the perceptions some may have they are reluctant to purchase, or rent animated movies. One audience that is not quite as picky on this is the fans of Comic Book Animation. Over the last number of years there has been some wonderful animation, with theatrical style story that has come to the homes of many who enjoy these genera. Hoping to tap in on the mania that is soon to come about with the theatrical release of The Avengers, Marvel Comics has released three of their movies as a set titled, The Ultimate Avengers Movie Collection. This set includes three previously released movies, all feature length. The movies titled Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Avengers 2 and a bonus movie titled Next Avengers; Heroes of Tomorrow are worth watching and quite enjoyable. With the exception of the later movie, all of the movies are based on previous stories from the Marvel Universe with a variety of Marvel characters. The later movie, Next Avengers; Heroes of Tomorrow is a new story that takes place involving the children of The Avengers after the majority of them have died or moved on.
One of the things I appreciated about these three movies and this particular boxed set is the attention to detail. The animation while using some CGI is largely hand drawn and exceptional in quality. The editing, direction and especially sound and story are also exceptional. Marvel can be proud of the product they have put out here. If viewers give it a chance, they will be quite pleased with the three movies and the low pricing for those movies on a 2 DVD set, with one of them being a front and back DVD.
All three movies have some origins concepts that are worth while for fans of especially Captain America, Thor and The Black Panther. In these and other characters, one of the things we see Marvel do is some character development. It helps lend to the stories and fans of The Avengers will appreciate the range of character development that takes place.
One of the things about the Marvel Characters, and many within these stories I especially appreciated is the struggle of being human and thus being challenged with taking on their respective responsibilities and roles to save the world. This struggle of being human is true in the various characters on screen but especially true in one of my favorite characters of all time, Captain America. We see his struggle with who he is and what he is to become after years of being frozen in ice. He has lost almost all he has ever loved and the world as he knows it no longer exists. One of the things the movies, specifically Ultimate Avengers does is has him figure out that there are still things to love, people to appreciate and a life to live. He is reminded of this by his love for his country and the relationships he is developing. We see similar stories take place with Bruce Banner AKA as The Hulk. One of the things these movies do is they don’t present what many will consider a cleaned up comic book story. There is death, mayhem, and destruction. There is also the struggle with human emotions and the attempt to try and be something others want. The concept of individuality and the struggle to remain true to the individual self is exemplified in each of these stories. The exception is The Next Avengers; Heroes of Tomorrow. Here we see the struggle of finding self but we see it through the eyes of children who have either lost loved ones or felt abandoned by their loved ones.
One of the things that resonated with me through these movies is the reality that the emotions expressed on screen are emotions all people go through at some point in their lives. There is a reality that even the heroes of our lives express emotion. It resembles in some ways the person of Jesus Christ. While many put him up on a pedestal, which he deserves, they forget about his humanity, his own emotions where we can see in the Bible his expressions of joy, sadness, even weeping, and ultimately his anger. The heroes in these movies are reminders that it is okay to be emotional. If our heroes or even our God’s and recipients of our worship can be emotional, so can we. I appreciated that in these movies we see grown men, who also happen to be heroes, cry and show emotion. We also see the importance of being there for each other, supporting each other in times of need. These are lessons well worth being reminded of and Marvel has done an excellent job of doing so in this set of movies.
One of the things I must mention is something I suspect comic book fans, especially Marvel fans, and others will appreciate. One of the things I love about DVD’s is the special features. Fans of special features like me will love this set, especially the special features in the Ultimate Avengers. Marvel understands the concept of giving their fans a little more and here, they have gone above and beyond, they don’t just give a little more; they give a lot more. The purchase price of this set is worth it, just for the special features. There are excellent ‘Making Of’ features, deleted scenes, gag reels, and much, much more.
I am fortunate; I get advance copies to review. This one was so good I have since been looking in stores to purchase other Marvel works. If the rest of the Marvel Universe videos are half as good as these, then I will support them even if I have to, purchase their products. I suspect others will be pleased set just as I have been. This is a set of movies I will watch several more times and will be glad to do it not just for the quality of the product, but the lessons and reminders I will get in the process.
To see the video posted below, click on the video, if the video doesn’t appear or appears in distorted form, click on the following link:
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew
6441 N. Hydraulic
Park City Kansas, 67219
Email: mike@furches.org
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
