Some of the best DVDs of 2004

A Mighty Wind is a fine and funny movie. It's really impressive that the whole thing is improved.

The Shawshank Redemption should be available on DVD this year, but hasn't been announced yet, as far as I know. Sure, I own it on DVD already, but I'm talking about the 10 year anniversary edition, featuring a ton of special features and an audio commentary with the Writer/Director Frank Darabont. As this is one of my favorite movies, I'll be purchasing this edition as soon as it's available.

As far as DVDs go, this is a great year for DVD:

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - The theatrical cut, clocking in at 3 hours and 17 minutes, was the best movie released in 2003. Period. This was an incredible adventure with an ending that destroys the endings of all movies that I've seen previous to this.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - Special Extended DVD Edition - At 4 hours 10 minutes, this should make Return of the King the best in the trilogy, as well as give it more of an emotional oomph.

The Shawshank Redemption - Special Edition - One of the best movies ever made. Get it when it comes out.

The Star Wars Trilogy - Finally.

The Matrix Revolutions - The most misunderstood movie of 2003. Brilliant.

Big Fish - The most understated film of 2003, one of my favorites.

The Iron Giant - Special Edition - The best animated film that nobody knows about. It's brilliant. It was undermarketted, severely, but everyone that watches it, loves it.

The Passion of the Christ - The best film of 2004, worth owning to watch once or twice a year and for retreats.

So there you have it. My list of the best DVDs for 2004, as of this moment.

Song: She Cries

Artist: East West

Won't you come away with me tonight?
We can fly past the moon and the starlight.
It doesn't matter where you've been before
On a night like this
It doesn't matter where you've been before
I'll love you like this
(And she cries, she cries, yeah)

Can't you see, I won't leave
But you have to open your eyes
Here I stand, take my hand
Let go of the fear that you hold

Don't throw your pearls to the swine tonight
Don't let them take your innocence
Just remember the times that I held your hand and kept you close
Remember the times I held you up and now
(She cries, she cries, yeah)

Can't you see, that I won't leave
But you have to open your eyes
Here I stand, take my hand
Let go of the fear you hold

Poster of the Day:

On Marriage Rights

A Thought Provoking Scenario:

( A scene at City Hall in San Francisco )

"Next."

"Good morning. We want to apply for a marriage license."

"Names?"

"Tim and Jim Jones."

"Jones? Are you related? I see a resemblance."

"Yes, we're brothers."

"Brothers? You can't get married."

"Why not? Aren't you giving marriage licenses to same gender couples?"

"Yes, thousands. But we haven't had any siblings. That's incest!"

"Incest?" No, we are not gay."

"Not gay? Then why do you want to get married?"

"For the financial benefits, of course. And we do love each other. Besides, we don't have any other prospects."

"But we're issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples who've been denied equal protection under the law. If you are not gay, you can get married to a woman."

"Wait a minute. A gay man has the same right to marry a woman as I have. But just because I'm straight doesn't mean I want to marry a woman. I want to marry Jim."

"And I want to marry Tim, Are you going to discriminate against us just because we are not gay?"

"All right, all right. I'll give you your license. Next."

"Hi. We are here to get married."

"Names?"

"John Smith, Jane James, Robert Green, and June Johnson."

"Who wants to marry whom?"

"We all want to marry each other."

"But there are four of you!"

"That's right. You see, we're all bisexual. I love Jane and Robert, Jane loves me and June, June loves Robert and Jane, and Robert loves June and me. All of us getting married together is the only way that we can express our Sexual
preferences in a marital relationship."

"But we've only been granting licenses to gay and lesbian couples."

"So you're discriminating against bisexuals!"

"No, it's just that, well, the traditional idea of marriage is that it's just for couples."

"Since when are you standing on tradition?"

"Well, I mean, you have to draw the line somewhere."

"Who says? There's no logical reason to limit marriage to couples. The more the better. Besides, we demand our rights! The mayor says the constitution guarantees equal protection under the law. Give us a marriage license!"

"All right, all right. Next."

"Hello, I'd like a marriage license."

"In what names?"

"David Deets."

"And the other man?"

"That's all. I want to marry myself."

"Marry yourself? What do you mean?"

"Well, my psychiatrist says I have a dual personality, so I want to marry the two together. Maybe I can file a joint income-tax return."

"That does it! I quit!! You people are making a mockery of marriage!!"

Song: Worlds Apart

Artist: Jars of Clay

I am the only one to blame for this
Somehow it all ends up the same
Soaring on the wings of selfish pride
I flew too high and like I charus
I collide

With a world I try so hard
To leave behind
To rid myself of all but love
To give and die

To turn away and not become
Another nail to pierce
The skin of one who loves
More deeply than the ocean
More abundant than the tears
Of a world embracing every heartache

Can I be the one to sacrifice
Or grip the spear and watch
The blood and water flow

Chorus:
To love you-take my world apart
To need you-I am on my knees
To love you-take my world apart
To need you-broken on my knees

All said and done I stand alone
Amongst the remains of life I should not own
It takes all I am to believe
In the mercy that covers me

Did you really have to die for me?
All I am for all you are
Because what I need
And what I believe
Are worlds apart
And I pray

repeat chorus

on my knees

I look beyond the empty cross
Forgetting what my life has cost
And wipe away the crimson stains
And dull the nails that still remains
More and more I need you now
I owe you more each passing hour
Battle between grace and pride
I gave up not so long ago
So steal my heart and take the pain
Wash the feet and cleanse my pride
Take the selfish, take the weak
And all the things I cannot hide
Take the beauty, take my tears
The sin-soaked heart and make it yours
Take my world all apart
Take it now, take it now
And serve the ones that I despise
Speak the words I can't deny
Watch the world I used to love
Fall to dust and thrown away
I look beyond the empty cross
Forgetting what my life has cost
Wipe away the crimson stains
And dull the nails that still remain
So steal my heart and take my pain
Take the selfish, take the weak
And all the things I cannot hide
Take the beauty, take my tears
Take my world apart, take my world apart
I pray,and I pray, and I pray
Take my world apart
Worlds apart

Song: Paradigm

Artist: All Together Separate

Everybody loves a rose,
But will you be thankful for the thorns?
Love is easy when you're loved,
But do you curse another when you're alone?

Chorus:
Oh, I give my life to You
so I can gain it back again
Oh, I stand solid
while the paradigm is shifting

You say live and let live,
But people are dying everyday
And you say what I don't know won't hurt me
But if what I do not know
is the very thing I need,
then I say...

Humanity sees truth
through a shattered window pane
That blocks the view,
And plants the seed
So we draw the curtains to close but I say
That the sun can still shine
behind a closed mind
And sticks and stones do hurt
When tossed from the tongue of mankind

Recommended Reading!

Pierced By a Sword by Bud Macfarlane Jr.

Conceived Without Sin by Bud Macfarlane Jr.

House of Gold by Bud Macfarlane Jr.

Those three are FREE at http://www.Catholicity.com

The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton

The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Wild At Heart by John Eldredge

No Man is an Island by Thomas Merton