"Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration"

In 2005, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints produced a video about the story of Joseph Smith to be shown on Temple Square in Salt Lake City and in various other church visitors' centers.

While the original version of the movie was outstanding, the Church has released an updated version  (about 40 percent of it is new) to add context to the story of the First Vision and to highlight beliefs such as temples, modern prophets and eternal families.

This is the first time the Church as released a full-length movie on the Internet and I can't wait to see the changes to the movie.

If you didn't get a chance to see the original Joseph Smith movie at a visitors' center, or if you'd like to learn more about the church I am a member of, please check out this movie!

Watch the movie!

True Grit

Have you seen True Grit yet? Well, I did on Friday and wow, was it good! There hasn't been a new western for a while, and this one was well done. Not only were the acting and story good, but it was a beautiful movie. The locations were amazing and the filming was artistic. I highly recommend it!

(And yes, that IS Johnny Cash singing on the trailer!)

The World Will Know

How can you resist amazing music and lyrics, newsies dancing around New York and of course, the future Batman standing up to Pulitzer and Hearst? You can't.

Newsies takes place in 1899 and tells the incredible true story of the two-week Newsboys Strike. This was the only child-led strike in American history. Back then, newspapers were distributed by extremely young, poor and often homeless boys who were not employed by the newspapers. They bought their papers and worked hard to sell all of them because if they didn't, they had to eat the cost of the extra papers they weren't able to sell. This is where the phrase "Extra, extra!" came from.

"There are 10,000 children living on the streets of New York....The newsboys constitute an important division of this army of homeless children. You see them everywhere.... They rend the air and deafen you with their shrill cries. They surround you on the sidewalk and almost force you to buy their papers. They are ragged and dirty. Some have no coats, no shoes and no hat."  

- James B. McCabe, Jr.

Newsies, 1908, Brooklyn Bridge.

During the Spanish-American War, newspaper sales increased and publishers raised the cost of newspaper bundles so the newsies paid 10 cents more and the difference was offset by the increase in sales. However, when the war ended and most publishers decreased the cost, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst (publishers of two major papers) continued to sell their papers to the newsies at the increased rate.

Standing up to this unfair treatment of child workers, the newsies banded together by the thousands, refused to sell Pulitzer and Hearst's papers and demonstrated across the Brooklyn Bridge, halting traffic and hindering the distribution of papers.

The details of the story of the newsies coming together, beating up sell-outs, refusing to accept bail from newspaper publishers, defending their rights and standing up for what they believed to be right is truly amazing.

Despite sometimes violent attempts by Pulitzer and Hearst to break up the rallies, the newsies stood strong under teen-aged, eye patch wearing strike leader Kid Blink. Due to their union and strike, the newsies caused Pulitzer's paper to decrease to about a third of its regular circulation.

"I'm trying to figure out how ten cents on a hundred papers can mean more to a millionaire than it does to newsboys, an' I can't see it. If they can't spare it, how can we?" ;

- Kid Blink    

                                                                
After proving to newspaper giants that paper couldn't be sold without newsboys and that they were determined to stand up for their rights, the newsies won. While Pulitzer and Hearst did not lower the bundle price, they did agree to buy back unsold papers.

1000 Frames of Hitchcock

"Rear Window," "Dial 'M' For Murder," "Notorious," "The Man Who Knew Too Much." Alfred Hitchcock movies can't be beat when it comes to suspense and thriller films. His movies are artistic, well-scripted, deep, and the actors are first-rate.

The thing I love about Hitchcock movies is the suspense. You'll be on the edge of your seat from the opening scene until the end as you watch spies in action, murderers on the hunt, and people being held hostage.

Hitchcock summed up his approach to directing perfectly:

"There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it."

As you watch his movies you realize that what's happening on the screen really isn't that scary. What is scary is the plot, the possibilities, the unknown.

1000 Frames of Hitchcock is an amazing project by Dave Pattern, a devoted fan. For the project he took all 52 of Hitchcock's major films, and cut them down to just 1,000 frames.

He goes through the films, picks out the frames, and puts them in sequential order, so they still tell the story.

Here's a section of the frames from "North By Northwest:"

And here's all 1,000 frames for "North By Northwest" with some samples of the frames on the right.
You can see them all close up here.

Here is all 52,000 frames from the entire project:

For the black and white films, Dave made circles where the frames from the beginning of the film are at the top, the ones from the middle are on the bottom, and they go in a clockwise direction.

Here's a close up. Click here and you can explore the whole circle.

M*A*S*H*

Oh, I love M.A.S.H. Lately I have had some weird craving for it. My brother has the whole series on DVD and we used to stay up late watching it. The carefree, low-drama, and dry humor style appeal to me and for some reason I can't get enough of it!

Here's a few quotes:

"You're always wrong, Frank. That's what's so right about you." - Henry

[to a patient in cardiac arrest] "Live! That's an order!" - Charles

"Will you stop saying what I'm thinking?" - Henry

"One of us has to." - Radar

"What's Frank up to?" - B.J.

"I think he's vacuuming Korea. Eisenhower's coming; he wants everything just so." - Hawkeye

"This is the last straw!" - Frank

"Remind me to order more straws." - Hawkeye

"I wonder if I can say something useful?" - Frank

"I often wonder that too, Frank." - Trapper

"Blow in my ear." - Hawkeye

"What?" - Margaret

"I'm so cold I think my pilot's gone out." - Hawkeye

And if that doesn't make you want to pick up an episode. Try this:

Unstoppable

Wow, this is a must-see movie. I recently saw this and it was more than I expected it to be. Based on a true story, Unstoppable is about an out-of-control, unmanned train that is speeding down tracks in Pennsylvania at speeds up to 80 mph.

It's amazing because the entire movie, from beginning to end, is about efforts to stop the train before it derails, dumping toxic waste and causing a terrible disaster, or crashes into other trains in its way. I was on the edge of my seat as plans like jumping from a helicopter, purposefully derailing the train, and stopping it with another engine unfolded. You have to see it to watch Denzel Washington fight against time and forces to save hundreds of lives.

Conan is Back

At the end of the day I love more than curling up on the couch with Conan (well, not literally, but you know what I mean). And he's back! My sister and I waited with excitement and now we can once again watch him every night as he opens with hilarious monologues that comment on current events, survives crazy stunts and interviews celebrities.

Sherlock Holmes

If you know me, you know I love murder mysteries. From Agatha Christie to Arthur Conan Doyle to John Dickson Carr and everything in between. I eat them up. I love trying to solve the mystery myself before the book ends. I love the cleverness and the way a good detective can see things most people would miss and can piece together clues in a way an average person could not. It sounds morbid but I love the untraceable poisons, the sealed-room puzzles and even the classic stand by ways to commit murder.

One thing that makes a murder good (besides being totally believable, plausible, and solvable for the reader, which is a whole other blog post) is the psychology behind it. It's fascinating to watch a character develop into such a state that they commit murder or to decipher personality, motive and ability to peg the guilty character.

Recently, a friend and I went and saw Sherlock Holmes. Wow, was it great. They did such a good job of bringing Holmes' personality out and keeping with the classic Sherlock Holmes style. The story, the other characters, and even the way Sherlock deals with villain when he finally catches up to him are all reminiscent of the stories. The darkness and twists are done well and it's enjoyable to watch Holmes battle to save the English government and cope with personal struggles at the same time. The movie also does a wonderful job of bringing Sherlock Holmes into the modern world of movies, adding action, romance and humor in all the right places. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it this weekend!

Shop Till You Drop!

My sister and best friend Rebecca flew out a few weeks ago and spent a few days here shopping, watching movies and eating Chinese food. I don't think I have ever hit that many stores in that short of time before in my life! Rebecca is great, and I had the best time with her. The picture above is one of my favorite pictures of us. Sorry for the blurriness; it's a picture of a picture.

One of our favorite stores is Down East, whenever I go I could spend a fortune there. I love that their stuff is so classy but also different. So, we went there, to the malls, some outlet stores...and I know I'm leaving some out.

Rebecca and I also LOVE What Not to Wear. Every time she comes out here we watch episode after episode. It's fun to watch Stacy and Clinton put outfits together and even more fun to watch their witty banter as they help people dismantle then rebuild their wardrobe.

Thanks for the best weekend ever Rebecca! Love you!

Commander in Chief

I recently discovered a great show called Commander in Chief. the show opens with the death of a president and the debate about whether his vice president, a woman, should take office. Geena Davis plays the role of the president beautifully and it's so fun to watch her stand up for herself and her country as she becomes president and at the same time raises her kids. She brings honesty, humility and old-fashioned American vales to the White House as she leads through acts of terrorism, hostage situations and media issues. The show also has Donald Sutherland in it as the speaker of the house. If you haven't ever seen this show, I really, really recommend it. You can see all the episodes on Hulu.

This clip is from the first few minutes of the first episode. I promise, you'll get hooked!

UP

See UP! This latest Disney-Pixar movie is really, really good. I'm not usually a cartoon fan but this one was really well done and the plot was great. The story is deep enough to make adults think but still at a level that kids can understand. The characters are so lovable and the story touches your heart as it makes you think about what is most important in life. One of my friends said it made him cry. I wasn't quite THAT touched, but still, it was good. :) If you haven't seen UP yet, go check it out!

My Song in the Night

This morning I caught this on TV. It's a beautiful song and I love the video even more. Such a good depiction of service. Gave me goosebumps. :)

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Well, at least until next season. Yep, 24 season seven ended last night. It was bittersweet. Following with tradition, some PR friends and I all watched it together, this time we had pizza and Brick Oven root beer (we really party hard, let me tell you). Wow, was it ever amazing! The finale is always two hours long instead of one and yet it still seems like only half an hour. There were some truly shocking moments. Okay, I admit it, I gasped out loud a few times. I love the characters of 24. The good vs. evil. Right vs. wrong. Patriotism. The idea that you can choose to make good out of bad circumstances. What an epic show. :)

SPOILER ALERT! The finale sort of wrapped up a few subplots: Tony was caught, Olivia will surely go to trial, head-honcho terrorist Alan gets caught, etc. But, in true 24 style, there are more cliffhangers and each new plot leads to a deeper story. I guess we'll have to wait a year to find out if Jack snaps out of his comma, if Tony ever pulls his act together and if Alan will pay for all the crimes he committed in this and (as revealed this episode) previous seasons.

P.S. I KNEW Jack was going to jump off that operating table! It couldn't have happened any other way!

"Did we just break the law?"

"Nope. That's what you call dang fine reporting." I just saw State of Play with some friends over the weekend. Wow. What a good movie. Watch the trailer! It's intense and full of action and suspense. I loved watching the interaction between journalism and media and the government, and of course, some public relations.

The story is all about journalists working with the police to solve a murder. Of course, it's not as simple as that because everyone has their own agenda, especially when the murder is linked to a congressman. Between a journalist wanting to get the scoop and at the same time help his friend, the police wanting to solve the murder as more and more people get killed, a congressman trying to save his reputation and public image, and a corporation covering the truth, this movie has an incredibly intense plot. I would definitely recommend it!

This weekend I saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It was so much better than I thought it would be! I do like super-hero movies, but only when they have a plot. It's hard for me to sit through a movie that is driven only by explosions, car chases and super heroes flying around killing people. To me, a good movie has to have a good plot. It has to have a story. If it has a story, go ahead and add the car chases and explosions, I'm all for getting the bad guys if it adds to a story line! Wolverine not only has a good story but it engages you and connects you to the characters. Even if you're like me and don't know the X-Men story at all. It feels like you are seeing a timeless, epic story being played out. In short: go see it!

Comms Video

My good friend Patrick has totally redone the Department of Communications Web site. It is a very cool blog-style site packed with info. If you go to it and scroll down to the "Featured Video" you can see a video I helped make for work. It's all about the department and how it helps further the missions of the Church.

Dwight Schrute?

A BYU business professor recently did a study on how the addition of a "Dwight Schrute," a "socially distinct" team member, helps the team more successfully solve problems. Check out the news release. It's really interesting to read about the psychology of groups:

"According to Liljenquist, newcomers in the experiment didn't necessarily ask tougher questions, possess novel information, or doggedly maintain a conflicting point of view. Just being there was enough to change the dynamic among old-timers who shared a common identity.

When a member of the group discovered that he agreed with the new outsider, he felt alienated from his fellow old-timers - consequently, he was very motivated to explain his point of view on its merits so that his peers wouldn't lump him in with the outsider.

The person who found himself disagreeing with the in-group - and instead agreeing with an outsider - felt very uncomfortable. An opinion alliance with an outsider put his social ties with other team members at risk.

'Socially, that can be very threatening,' Liljenquist says. 'These folks are driven to say, 'Wait, the fact that I disagree with this outsider doesn't make me weird. Something more is going on here; let's figure out what's at the root of our disagreement.' The group then tends to analyze differing opinions and critical information much more thoroughly, and that facilitates much better decision-making results.'"

Walk the Line

The other night I watched one of my favorite movies: Walk the Line. I like Johnny Cash's music and I love the movie portrayal of his life. Walk the Line is not just good entertainment, but it's a touching story of the importance of life and our relationships with others and doing good. It is also full of wonderful music and great scenes that depict the inspiration of some of Cash's songs. Joaquin Phoenix actually sang for this movie but the song below is Mr. Cash himself! If you haven't seen Walk the Line you're missing out!

I Walk The Line - Johnny Cash & the Tennessee Two

"The 39 Steps"

I just finished "The 39 Steps" by John Buchan. Wow, what a good book. There is actually a really old Alfred Hitchcock movie based on it. One day I was browsing at the bookstore and came across the book and decided I had to grab it.

Originally published in 1915, the story is about a man named Richard Hannay who is bored of his everyday life in London until he meets a man at his apartment who tells him a crazy story about an assassination plot. Hannay comes home a few days later to find the man dead in his apartment. Because he knows about the plot and because he is now wanted for the murder of the man, Hannay goes on the run and travels across Europe dodging the police and those who are planning the assassination while he tries to figure out how he can prevent the planned murder and the outbreak of World War I, until he eventually has to come face to face with both.

I don't want to ruin the end but if you are looking for a good book, I really, really recommend this one!

24

I finally got a chance to watch this week's episodes of 24. There were two on Monday and they were totally amazing. In fact, I would go so far as to say the second one just may have been the most suspenseful episode yet! A shootout in the White House? No one else has dared attempt that! If you don't watch 24, you should. This is the only TV show I watch on a regular basis and for good reason; it's the best ever!

"Some lines must be crossed."