Gnomeo and Juliet Movie Review

I went to see this with my friends' kids and it was a fun movie. I must tell you first that i've always had a bit of an obsession with gnomes, for some reason, whenever I see them, they always make me smile. Most of my friends who hear that think i'm weird, and most of them think that gnomes are going to come to life and kill you in your sleep. Nothing could be further from the truth, believe me. Anyway, I digress.....you would think because of this obsession of mine, I would automatically love the movie whether it was good or bad....not true. I watched this movie like I watch every other movie, with a critical eye, but still trying to enjoy it if its good. So, Gnomeo and Juliet was funny, it had a good story, and was cute in the tradition of "A Bug's Life" or Toy Story, but wasn't quite as good as those two. It had its moments though, like when Hulk Hogan narrated a lawnmower commercial, the gnomes race lawn mowers, so they needed a super mower to win the race, thus Hulk Hogan would narrate such a mower. Also, there was a bit of poking fun at Shakespeare's writing style, which I thought was funny. Some other highlights were a funny flamingo, a ninja scene, a reference to Disneyland's Tiki Tiki Room, and some funny pokes at the inanimacy of gnomes. But overall I would give the movie a strong B or 3 out of 5 stars. I would definitely suggest a matinee showing price for this one. The kids loved it and your kids will love it. For the record, I still have an obsession with gnomes, and collect them. :) You should too.

Gettin' Married......

Since the proposal, we have a pastor, a venue, a dress, a suit, a photographer, a caterer, almost done with planning, still have a ways to go, but it isn't a horribly stressful thing like i've heard it can be. Had a man draw on me with chalk for the fitting of the suit, got it on sale, and Pam actually got teary-eyed when I was putting on my coat in the mirror, I guess it kind of hit her that we're close to being married....the odd thing is, she didn't tear up at her bridal dress fitting, but her bridesmaids tell me they did, even though she did. Also, time must be flying cause the men's store owner asked us, "how long have you been engaged?" I said, "about a month", and then Pam jumped in and said, "actually its been two months". Time flies when you're havin' fun right? Anyway, we are both very happy and excited to spend our lives together, even though we have developed the habit of going grocery shopping together for our respective residences, we still pay separately. Sometimes I offer to buy her bananas or a bottle of wine. She sometimes tries to sneak her food on my side of the grocery store line divider. That little rubber piece is very powerful. Anyway, i've gone off on a tangent, I must go. You all have a great week.

Steven

Here's a new song of mine called Movin' On

Here's a new song that'll be on my own album in early 2010.  Its called Movin' On and is about transitions in our life, finding a way to settle into the changes that life has brought our way, and embracing them, not running away from them.  Hope you guys like it.  And if you would, go subscribe to my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/stevenkristopher   Thanks all.

The Music Bug Continued

        I decided after hearing a piano player named Keith Green, that I wanted to play like he did.  I heard him play notes that made me feel so much that I wanted to make other people feel that way as well.  So, I, at age 14, bought a chord book, a very inexpensive Casio keyboard, and started practicing to learn the piano.  I would put on the headphones and play along with one finger the melodies of the songs on the radio.  Then after about six months of learning chords on the piano, mixed with being able to play by ear, I was able to play songs on the piano.  My Mom was so happy cause she really likes the piano, as was my Dad. 

       In the next couple of years, I would spend my free time in my room with headphones on learning all kinds of songs, from Elton John to U2, to Metallica, to Worship music on the piano.  I couldn't stop playing.  It was my teenage escape, but what I didn't know, was it would lead to some pretty amazing things in my life.  Again, music mixed with the choices i've made has moved me here and there in small ways and gargantuan ways.  I was always trying to learn what those huge artists had done with the notes, how they had taken the music somewhere no one had ever done before, and I knew that I wanted that more than anything.  So, my desire grew and I wasn't just interested in sticking with one instrument (the piano), when music itself is so much more, I bought a nylon string guitar from my friend Rhiannon (yes, she was named after the song).  I started to listen to any music with acoustic guitar in it and bought my chord book and learned all my chords over the next couple of years.  My Mom wasn't as happy about the guitar as she was about the Piano.  I think her exact words were, "Steven, you are talented and gifted at the piano, not at guitar".  I would laugh and say, Mom, music is the gift.  We still laugh about that.  Anyway, the next progressive step in my search and my pursuit of this thing was to write my own songs.  The first song I ever wrote was to my two youth pastors who were leaving to go to Church far far away.  It was a tribute and a thank you for their mentoring me.  It wasn't a very good song, but it was from the heart, which is what music should be first and foremost.  My second song was for my first girlfriend.  Again, not a great song, but again, truly from the heart.  I believe that music should be felt, that an emotion should be conveyed, whether it be happiness, sadness, joy, peace, passion, hope.  These are what music means to me.  I will continue this rant again soon.  Thanks for following and listening.

The Music Bug

10 years ago, I was married, working a day job, and practicing about three times a week in a band that I had joined. I had always written music and had once written music with my wife, who now was wanting to settle down and just live the ordinary. I still had the need for music, because music has been the only thing that has ever moved me so, that I have never grown tired of it. You know when you're a kid, and you have hobbies, well, mine were wrestling, you know, WWF (now WWE), G.I. Joe, Star Wars, Collecting Baseball Cards, Collecting Comic Books, etc. Well, all of those things faded, but ever since I was a little boy, music has been something that has never let go. I remember my parents had an 8-track player, which is like the grandfather to a C.D., and the only 8-tracks I remember having were, The Bee Gees, Barry Manilow, and The Annie Soundtrack. Not a great selection, however, one of the first memories of music I have is jumping on the bed at about age 8, (which seems like a million years ago) to The Bee Gees, Tragedy. So, whenever my Mom took me to church and sat in the front row, I was so excited to stand for praise service and watch the drummer do what he did. Then I would go home and listen to the radio all day, just waiting to hear that one song that hit me, like Stand by R.E.M., or Goin' Back to Cali by L.L. Cool J. Its weird looking back thinking about the music that shapes us, well me anyway. In my teenage years, after watching the drummer and going home and literally playing drumsticks on a practice pad, and never having a drumset, I learned how to play the drums. Then one day it happened.....I was 14 or 15, and I went to MidWeek service. The drummer, who also worked as a contractor during the day, had dropped a chainsaw on his leg, and couldn't play drums. Someone had told my Youth Pastor that they thought I could fill in. So, that moment, where I stepped in because of an accident was no accident at all. I played with all my heart and didn't play great at all, but I felt the tug of music. After playing drums for awhile, and being teased by my Youth Church Bandmates that I didn't have to memorize any notes, therefore I wasn't a real musician, I looked for an instrument to play that was more melodic, and less rhythmic. I will continue this personal history rant at a later time with the next few years and how my life has moved forward, never letting go of this thing called, The Music Bug.