Matt's Musings

I like watching the show "Dexter" on Showtime. It doesn't, in any way, reflect my world view. It's sometimes quite violent. It's a cable show, so they explore all the ways they can push the limits. And it's a dark show. It's also got some incredible acting, especially from Michael C. Hall in the title role. I am fascinated by the storytelling, enjoy the dark comedy, and am fascinated by the different ways they try to explore the social and moral constructs of this character. Those who have seen the show will know that's no easy feat. That being said, I was nervous about this season. Coming into the season, the writers said the focus of season six would be on Dexter's exploration of religion. Whenever a secular show covers Christianity, I get nervous. Even more so with a show as worldly and a-religious as this show. But I've been pleasantly surprised with what I've seen. Watching this last episode, I think that this show has somewhat perfect...

Here's a look at the new shows for this week. Friday Nights: Grimm, 9 p.m. on NBC Synopsis: This show has an interesting premise. It's about a cop who can see mythical creatures that walk the earth. He's called a Grimm, as in the fairy tale. The show essentially purports that the tales are true, but slightly different than they appear in books. The episode had some good humor — mostly thanks to Silas Weir Mitchell — but other than that there isn't a big hook for the show. It's a somewhat novel concept and interesting in tone. It feels like it's going for a "Supernatural" vibe, but the main characters aren't that compelling yet. It's a solid effort — which is saying something for NBC — but it's hard to tell if it will be anything more than a decent niche offering. I didn't like the second episode as well as the pilot, which makes me think the magic might be disappearing quickly. Pilot Grade: B Second Episode: C Sunday Nights: Hell on Whe...

"Time is a monster that cannot be reasoned with. It responds like a snail to our impatience, then it races like a gazelle when you can't catch a breath." — "Simon Birch" (1998) This week we begin our Stewardship campaign — T3 (Time, Treasure, Talent) — with a look at time, which is the most valuable asset we all have. That's why it comes first. Time is the only thing they're not making more of. It makes sense when you consider how most of us spend our time. If you look at how we spend our days, those precious seconds, minutes, and hours we have, you will see a reflection of what we value most — be it ourselves or others. Most of us don't like to think of it that way, but it's the truth. I find it ironic that we looked at this message when we're in the midst of a work stoppage in the NBA. There are real issues behind it, but I won't get into that here. What is fascinating to me is that it looks more and more like the whole season might be ...

I have been barraged with Christmas this week. It's November 5. I would say it all began, in earnest, on Tuesday (Nov. 1). This, of course, isn't really a surprise to anyone. For a while, you could go to the store and enjoy the fascinating dichotomy of seeing Halloween costumes and candy on one aisle and artificial trees, lights, and decorations on the other. It's still that way in some stores, where all the Halloween trappings are on clearance. But on November 1, with Halloween firmly a few hours in the rearview, it seems we have switched to all-Christmas, all the time. Christmas music on the radio, catalogs in the mail, and commercials featuring Santa all over prime time. Yes, it's the most over commercialized time of the year! And, of course, the movies are prepared to tackle this important season as well. That's right, our first Christmas movie arrived yesterday — but it's not what you'd expect. "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas" does fea...

A couple weeks ago I had the chance to speak to the Junior High group, and we talked about "Superman Returns." It's one of my favorite films to dissect for a few reasons. One of the things that always sticks out to me about it is the fact that at some level we're all searching for a hero or a savior. Superheroes come from a cultural desire to express that need absent faith. That, of course, is a bit of an oversimplification, but it seems to be a valid observation. Consider Superman. The hero was born in the 1930s, during the midst of the great depression. The book was created and animated by Jews. Consider that combination for a moment, and you can see some of the genesis of Superman as it pertains to faith. He was born during a time of great unrest and hopelessness. He was created by writers whose faith system sought a savior that would come as an all powerful, conquering king that would right all wrongs. Throughout his history, Superman has lived up to that ideal in...

Here's a look at some movies now in theaters. In Time Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, and Cillian Murphy Synopsis: Justin Timberlake is a talented performer and comedian, but most probably don’t think of him as an action star. Director Andrew Niccol predicted that after seeing “In Time,” which opened Friday, that perception would change. It was hard to get a read on “In Time” prior to its release. Niccol has a history of delivering off-beat films that present an interesting view of the future. Among his credits are “Gattaca,” “S1m0ne,” and “Lord of War.” With “In Time,” he again offers an interesting human story set against a futuristic backdrop. Though it was hard to figure how the film might work, the finished product is a little better than you’d expect. The film is set in the future where the currency isn’t money or gold, but time. Humans have been genetically engineered to stop aging at 25. Once they hit 25-years-old, they have to buy more time. When the time clo...

Tonight we're going to be talking about the themes from "Signs." I loved going through the screening last week because this is a powerful movie. It was bonus fun that it was during our Wednesday before Halloween. When people think about this movie, a lot of time people think about the big reveal at the end and the alien invasion component of the story. That makes sense. M. Night Shymalan cultivated a fan base thanks in large part to "The Sixth Sense," which relied heavily on a gimmick at the end of the film as a big part of the hook. That came to be Shymalan's signature, of sorts, but it's not what I think of when I think of Shymalan's films. His films all follow a similar story pattern. They are, essentially, stories about a character dealing with some sort of personal, spiritual crisis. They are in the midst of a crisis of faith due to some kind of traumatic life event and are seeking redemption. This story pattern can be seen in every one of his f...