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Thoughts on Dead Man's Chest

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:52:31 GMT

Lindsey and I just got back from the midnight showing of Pirates of the Carribean 2: Dead Man's Chest. Let me just say do not go expecting to see a remake of the first film. Pirates 2 is very different. It has an entirely different feel. Whereas the first film was a high-seas adventure flick with a fantastical backstory, this film has more of a mythological feel as it incorporates the legend of The Flying Dutchman. (Yeah. I was sorely disappointed the musical score did not incorporate any Wagnarian themes ).

In addition, the storyline in the 2nd film is a lot weaker than that in the first one, and I never thought Pirates 1's storyline was extremely strong. This film just did not have a consistent flow to the storyline. The plot was choppy, and most times the exposition that made the characters' actions significant came too late. I only began to feel that the plot had progression during the last hour or so of the film.

This sequel also lacked in development of the characters. The characters did not have any "telling moments" until the last hour of the film. Even then, these moments only confirmed what we already knew about the characters from watching the first film. Before you knew it, the characters' choices deviated from what they would have done if placed in the same situation in the first film, and the motivating factors were way too small to produce such drastic changes in the characters.

I don't mean to discourage anyone from seeing the movie. If you were a big fan of Curse of the Black Pearl, chances are you will enjoy watching Dead Man's Chest. However, the film is not much aside from being a fan movie and a visual spectacular. There is no story of sacrifice or redemption in the film. Perhaps there will be such a storyline in the third film though.

On the other hand, I do think the film had an intriguing religious overtone. When one of the Flying Dutchman's crew members was explaining his reasoning for spending eternity on the ghostship, he said that he got what he wanted. This made me think of C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce, in which Lewis suggests that people do not want to go to heaven because they themselves do not want heaven. They would rather do things their own way.

In conclusion, if you can wait until this film comes out on video, you may want to save some money and not see it at the theater. If, however, you are a diehard fan of the first film and want a diversion from your boring summer job, take some a friend or a family member to the film. Overall, I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars.

By the way, I am not listening to the soundtrack. I just wanted to list the picture on my blog. However, I do think the soundtrack will be better than the first one even though I have not heard it yet. There was some great music in this film.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:29:31 GMT

Dan's latest portrait.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Sun, 07 May 2006 23:43:14 GMT

Disclaimer about my Last Post

After pondering the evidence with my friends, I have concluded that the call I received this morning at 5:15 am was most definitely a prank. So whichever friend of mine did this, please fess up to your foolishness.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Sun, 07 May 2006 09:41:04 GMT

10 Minute Seedling
Who says you can't share the Gospel with a drunk man?

This morning at 5:15 am, I was typing a story at my computer when all of a sudden my cell phone rang. The number began with "000", so I naturally thought it was my sister, Amy, in Germany. After all, she is the only person who calls me that would be awake at this hour. So I answered the phone and heared the deep voice of a stranger asking for Dan. I said, "This is he," and paused to hear the man sorrowfully tell of how his girlfriend cheated on him. I was about to offer to pray with the man but prefaced my offer with the question, "Do you believe in God?" The man proceeded to talk about how, although he was raised Roman Catholic, he concluded that God is very accepting and will punish those who think there is only one way to get to heaven. At the same time, the guy mentioned that Christ died for everyone, so I was a bit confused. I didn't understand how someone could believe in Christ's atoning sacrifice and still think that "all roads lead to heaven." So I shared with the man my understanding of the Gospel. I said that I believe in Jesus Christ, who died for all who believe in Him. He is an accepting God, but He is the only God. Unfortunately, our conversation was cut short soon thereafter.

As I write this, I tremble with excitement. In less than 10 minutes, I had a chance to plant a seed in someone's life. Considering that I've been rethinking the path my life will take after college, maybe God is trying to tell me something through my experience this morning. Maybe I'm supposed to become part of a full-time ministry. To be honest, these ten minutes of my life were some of the most fulfulling moments I've ever spent.

Well, I must get back to my writing. I have five stories due on Monday, and I've only started on two. YIKES!

Monday, April 10, 2006

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 02:30:11 GMT

Guys Can’t Multitask!
Reinforcement of What We Already Know

While I was picking out flip-flops at Wal-Mart, my friend Chris called. I answered the phone and talked as Hannah and I walked up to the self-checkout counters. I scanned my flip-flops over the laser. Forgetting to select my method of payment, I inserted a dollar bill into the machine.

“What’s Joel been up to?” asked Chris.

    I did not speak until after I grabbed my receipt. “Oh, I don’t know. Just school. He was supposed to go fishing Friday but it rained. He went backpacking last week.”

     Hannah and I crossed the parking lot and stopped at the red Toyota Previa. I flipped out my key and inserted it into the keyhole. I turned the key but could not hear the click of the locks. The lock’s bad, I thought. As I considered what was wrong, Chris became that muffled adult voice heard on Peanuts. “Waw waw waw wa waaaa.”

I walked over to the passenger-side door and turned the key there. Still I heard no click. Maybe the key’s bent. Good thing I brought a spare today. I slung open my wallet and lifted the key from the main pocket. I placed the key in the lock and turned. Still no click!

I resolved to try the lock on the driver’s side door again with this key, but I stopped behind the vehicle to try to unlock the trunk. The key wouldn’t budge. What is going on here? I looked at the ground in frustration. But my eyes saw bright colors on their way to the ground. What was that? A Kentucky license plate? This isn’t my van!!!

Yes. Just another day in the life of a one-track-minded male.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 03:58:18 GMT

Feeling Used in Hollywood
How do you avoid treating film crew members as a means to an end?

I must confess. I intentionally lied to a girl tonight. You see, I'm making this movie about a girl who doesn't date boys, and when a guy asks her out, he invites her fishing and tricks her into thinking a bunch of his friends will be coming. So I did the same thing to my actress to see how she would react upon discovering that I had deceived her.

I asked the actress to go with some guys on my hall and I to a series of plays that were being performed tonight. Her response was priceless! I showed up at the play in a button-down shirt and tie. She told me, "I feel underdressed."
"Well, it's a date, isn't?" I couldn't resist smiling.
"You have a death wish!" She later yelled.

I smiled the entire evening, even while apologizing for hurting her feelings. "I understand how you might feel used," I said. Immediately, she adopted the term "used" to describe exactly how my prank made her feel.

I left a seat in between us when we sat down for the play. I asked one of her friends to come sit in between us because "she could use a friend right now."

While we waited for the play to start, I began to remember Kant's idea that no person should be treated as a means to an end. I realized that I had just treated my actress this way. The whole time I had justified my actions with the thought, "at least I have some great footage."

All actors are a means to an end, but I believe that no actor should be treated as such. If I could just figure out how to implement this belief in my life, then maybe I could right a book on how members of a film crew should treat each other. Let me know if you all have any thoughts on this belief or if you have any other ideas how film crew members should be treated on the set.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 05:52:02 GMT

Is Man a Diurnal Creature?
What happens to you after an all-nighter?

What happens to people who are not used to staying up all night when they pull an all-nighter?

Well...
1. One might fall into a deep sleep during a lecture he or she really wanted to hear. Not only that but he might start toppling over sideways and disrupt the class as he tries to stabilize himself with his thick hiking boots.
2. One might jump up from his computer, forgetting that he is wearing his roommate's set of headphones. The cord to the headphones may, in turn, fray.

What happens to you after you pull an all-nighter?

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 19:28:19 GMT

The Right Thing for the Wrong Reason
Should You Act on the Assumption that Your Motivation
Will Change?

I must confess. Sometimes my reason for doing good to others is self-serving. In a situation like this, should I withhold a good deed from a person or group of people because my intentions are to gain something in return?

To make what I am talking about more concrete, say I were to think of embarking on a missions trip to Swaziland. Now I know that while in Swaziland, I will have many opportunities to comfort children who are dying of aids. At the same time, I realize that my primary reason for going on this mission trip is to broaden my horizons through traveling to an exotic location. Should I not sign up for the trip because my heart is not in the right place?

Now the mission trip example is entirely hypothetical. But I bring up this topic because I am want to know the Biblical answer to how you should behave if you know that your actions result in service to others (and perhaps God), but your heart is not in the right place.

In Galatians 6:10, Paul says, "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to thos ewho belong to the family of believers." Also, Proverbs 3:27 says, "Do not withhold good from those who dersrve it, when it is in your power to act."

I believe that once you arrive at the point where you are questioning your motivations, you are at the right maturity level to go to Swaziland or do that thing you hesitate to do because of your fear of having the wrong motivation. I think God purposefully reveals to us when our hearts are not in the right place so that we know to lean on Him. With that said, I would only go on that trip to Swaziland if I was confident that I had surrendered my motivations to God.

What do you think would be the right thing to do if you were in this situation? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 03:38:45 GMT

Shirtless and Schooless?
"I have a history of losing my shirt." -- Barenaked Ladies

Tonight I was with Hannah in the physical activities center, and just as I finished slipping out of shirt, who should walk in but Steve Wise! I tried to explain that I was not doing anything immoral, but he simply quickened his pace and darted out of that place.
I wonder if he's ever expelled someone for stripping. Maybe I'll be the first.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 03:33:13 GMT

A Boy's Pursuit of Music
"Boys never grow up; they just become bigger boys."

Tonight I was chasing some girls around the Sarah Johnson House lobby with a nightcrawler.
As I reflect on my actions, I realize that I still seek for that warm fuzzy boyish feeling that comes from hearing a female shriek. It has always been music to my ears, and I imagine it always shall be.