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1. Chuck - September 29 (NBC)
I love Chuck. Partly because it’s so stinking funny and partly because the geek in me relates to the main character. The show is a perfect mix of comedy and action and Zachary Levi is perfect in the role of the bumbling, failed-at-love geek that you can’t help but love. If you haven’t seen this show yet go rent season 1 on DVD. You’re only  one season behind so you’ll catch up in no time. And if you’re a Chuck fan be sure to watch the new season preview - it looks awesome.

2. Heroes - September 22 (NBC)
I already established above that I’m a geek so of course I’m going to love a show that has to do with comic-book style characters with superpowers and evil villains trying to take over the world! Lisa didn’t watch the first couple of seasons with me even though I kept raving about how awesome they were. She gave in a couple of weeks ago and decided to rent the first two seasons on DVD to get caught up so she could watch it with me (she’s rocks!). This season is called Villains and it looks freaking amazing (watch the trailer here)

3. Battlestar Galactica (SciFi)
I do love my Science Fiction books and movies so of course I’m going to love a TV show about a race of robot human clones chasing what’s left of the human race through space to kill them. But it’s not just because there’s space ships and robots - this show has top-notch acting with an amazingly well-written storyline. Lisa is definitely not a sci-fi fan and even she likes it. And, unlike other shows who run way past their prime, Battlestar is wrapping it up this year after 5 very successful seasons. I’m sad to see it go but I can’t wait to see how it ends.

4. The Office - September 25 (NBC)
Do I really need to say anything here? The Office is hands down the funniest comedy on TV right now. If you don’t think this is one of the greatest shows ever I will fight you. And that’s no lie.

5. Fringe - September 9 (FOX)
This show is my wildcard pick. Even though I’m still upset at J.J. Abrams for taking a great show like LOST and dragging it out much longer than he should have, I’m still intrigued by the previews I’ve seen for this show. Maybe I’m a sucker for a well-edited trailer but it looks pretty sweet. JJ, I’m trusting you here. Don’t let me down.

What TV shows are you going to be watching this Fall?

I watched this like 5 times and laughed every time. How’s that for a new Olympic sport?

Is anyone else looking forward to September 25th as much as I am?

You’ve become exceedingly famous. You give interviews every day about what makes you sucessful. You’re constantly being stopped on the street by people who want their picture taken with you.

And then you get a call from a big Hollywood studio. They’re going to make a movie about you! And you get to pick any Hollywood actor to star in the leading role.

Who do you pick to play you?

If you were a product of the 80s you’ll appreciate this. Steven Stull out of Atlanta, GA created a replica of the Airwolf helicopter from the 80s television show. I still remember watching that show as a kid and seeing this awesome helicopter flying through the air, guns blazing.

The helicopter was originally commissioned for a helicopter museum in Tennessee but the museum had to shut down. The Airwolf helicopter is now up for auction on eBay for any fans who want to add a full-scale replica to their show memorabilia.

For a trip down memory lane, here is the original intro to Airwolf.

(click here if you can’t see the video)

Did you watch Airwolf as a kid? What were your favorite TV shows of the 80s?

Update: @MLukaszewski reminded me that you can watch full episodes of Airwolf for free on Hulu.com!

The purpose of today’s post is two-fold. The first is to tell you about what looks to be a great movie coming out in April called Smart People. At first glance it looks like some of the movies we’ve been seeing from Fox Searchlight in recent years (Juno, Little Miss Sunshine). I’m putting this one on my calendar to go see.

The second reason for this post is to share some thoughts that came to me after reading the movie’s tagline, ‘The smartest people have the most to learn.’

I know I’m not the only person to get inspiration for a message or blog post from crazy places like commercials, songs or billboards. Admit it, you’ve done it too.
The tagline from the movie echoes a concept about growing in our walk with God that I’ve been thinking about recently. For me, having grown up in the church, my journey of faith has been more about unlearning things I thought were true. I’m realizing more and more all the time that my preconceived ideas of  who God is and how He works just aren’t true.

There are times I envy new believers who are developing a relationship with Christ after years of living without Him. Their journey of faith is so authentic because they don’t have years of religious baggage to get rid of. Their view of Jesus isn’t based on countless sermons, classes, conferences and books. It’s the spark of excitement that comes from discovering your first love.

I suppose that’s why Jesus said that if we really want to know who He is we have to come to him as little children (Mark 10:14-16) who are innocent and teachable.  I think those of us in ministry have the most difficulty seeing Jesus for who He really is because we feel the need to always study and delve deeper to find those “hidden truths” that we can share on Sunday mornings.

We forget that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9) and that Jesus’ message was a simple one of loving God and loving others (Luke 10:27).

The smartest people really do have the most to learn.

So I just bought the new Gnarls Barkley album, “The Odd Couple” on iTunes. I’ve actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Just a note though, if you didn’t enjoy their last album you won’t like this one because it really could be called “St. Elsewhere - Part 2.”

Like before, there are some interesting spiritual undertones in songs like “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul.”

I’ve been noticing more spiritual lyrics showing up in unexpected places such as the title track from Lenny Kravitz’s new album, “Love Revolution” (which is also amazing by the way).

The truth will set you free
and you will find
That there is a love
That won’t let you down
And it always holds ground
Wear your crown

This love will never leave you
This love will never let you go
It is time for a love revolution
It is time for a new constitution
You are a child of the most high
There is nothing you can’t do and that is no lie
You were designed
To use your mind
To move what you can’t see so don’t be blind
There is a love
That wont let you down
and it always holds ground

And then last night I talked Lisa into watching “I Am Legend” with me. I had to do some major convincing because she told me she doesn’t like “freaky monster movies.” She may not have enjoyed it but I thought it was worth watching. To be able to re-write an interesting and engaging  story in an already crowded zombie genre has got to be difficult but they pulled it off.

Anyway, that’s what I’m listening to and watching these days. How about you? Any new movies or music I should know about?

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Ireland is one of my favorite countries and tops on my list of places to visit one day.

In honor of today, here’s a list of some Irish music and movies you should check out. Many of these bands are some of my favorite of all time. If you have any thoughts on be sure to leave a comment.

The Cranberries - This Irish alternative-rock group from Limerick rose to mainstream popularity in the 90s with songs like “Linger” and “Dreams.” Their sound is due in large part to the incredible voice of Dolores O’Riordan (who just recently released her first solo album). One of my favorite songs by the Cranberries is the haunting “God Be With You Ireland” from the 1997 movie “The Devil’s Own.” To this day every time I hear that song I get chills. You can watch the opening from the movie that features the song here.

U2 - In my opinion, this rock band from Dublin, Ireland is still one of the greatest bands of all time. They formed as a group in 1976 and rose to popularity in the mid-80s. To date they have sold more than 170 million albums and have won more Grammys than any other rock band. One of their more popular songs, Sunday Bloody Sunday, tells the story of the violence and troubles of Northern Ireland (check out a music video for the song here).

Clannad - Clannad is a Grammy award-winning Irish musical group from Gweedore. They are made all siblings or related with most of the vocals from Moya Brennan (sister of Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, better known as Enya). They first made their mark in the folk and traditional scene in Ireleand and Europe in the 70s. With over 20 million albums sold to date they are widely considered to embody the ’sound of Ireland.”
The Corrs - Another group of siblings from Ireland, this Celtic folk rock group is less known and saw most of their popularity during the late 90s with pop songs like “Breathless.” Can I let you in on a secret? I still remember buying their CD and listening to that song over and over! While not as well known as some of the other performers in this list I still enjoy listening to them. For some truly authentic, fun Irish music check out their live performance of “Toss The Feathers”.
The Frames - This Dublin-based rock band was founded in the early 90s and has been big in Ireland although they’ve become increasingly more popular here in the U.S. in recent years. Their ex-bassist John Carney became a film director and went on to write and direct the extremely popular 2007 film Once starring Glen Hansard, the lead singer and songwriter for the Frames. Hansard also wrote much of the music for the film (which also makes the Once Soundtrack an album worth listening to).

Damien Rice - Rice is an Irish folk singer from Dublin. He released his first studio album ‘0′ in 2002 and followed up with his second album ‘9′ in 2006. His song “9 Crimes” is his most popular and one of my absolute favorites. If you listen to nothing else by Damien Rice check out 9 Crimes. Rice’s songs have been featured several times on popular films and television shows. His song “The Blower’s Daughter” is a popular song for figure skating. Click here to watch Volcano by Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan.

Fionn Regan - In July I wrote about a new artist I had discovered named Fionn Regan. Regan is an Indie singer-songwriter from Ireland whose infectious lyrics and melodies will immediately find their way to the top of your playlist. The simple guitar arrangements make a beautiful backdrop for his beautiful lyrics and unassuming voice on songs such as Put a Penny in the Slot (one of my favorites) and Be Good or Be Gone.

IRISH MOVIES TO CHECK OUT:

If you’re looking for a good Irish movie to watch tonight I have to recommend The Devil’s Own starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt. Let me warn you in advance, Brad Pitt’s Irish accent isn’t the best but the story and message of the movie is very memorable.

If you’re looking for something a little more fun try The Matchmaker starring Jeneane Garofalo about a cynical American woman who visits Ireland. It’s a cute movie with some beautiful shots of the Irish countryside. And, while I haven’t personally seen this movie yet, I’ve heard Waking Ned Devine is supposed to be good.

What do you think? Any Irish bands or movies you would add to the list? Which are your favorites?

I don’t know why but this morning I was thinking of some of the most memorable (and sometimes overplayed) songs from the movies and television through the years. Here’s a few.

“Bring Me To Life” - Evanescence (Daredevil, 2003)
Most everybody knows the song but do you remember the movie soundtrack it first appeared on? Daredevil in 2003. Hey, sometimes not even great music can erase the image of Ben Affleck running around in red tights.

“My Heart Will Go On” - Celine Dion (Titanic, 1997)
Who can forget the summer of 1997 when the movie Titanic came out and we heard this song by Celine Dion play on the radio over and over. I distinctly remember a couple of times when I was scanning the radio dial in my car and I heard the song playing on two different stations at the same time. Turns out that the song could “go on and on” too.

“I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” - Aerosmith (Armageddon, 1998)
Armageddon was probably the biggest blockbuster in 1998 and this song was equally huge. The fact that Steve Tyler sings “I don’t want to miss a thing” as Ben Affleck makes out with his daughter was a little creepy though. Nonetheless, a great song. I also loved when Michael Clarke Duncan and the rest of the astronauts sing “Leaving On A Jet Plane” as they’re getting ready to leave.

“Extreme Ways” - Moby (The Bourne Identity, 2002)
This is still one of my favorite movie songs. I remember seeing The Bourne Identity for the first time and hearing this song play as the credits were rolling. Perfect choice of song and placement.

“Danger Zone” - Kenny Loggins
“Take My Breath Away” - Berlin (Top Gun, 1986)
This 1986 film still has one of the most popular soundtracks to date. Songs like “Danger Zone” made every boy want to become a fighter pilot in the 80s. Just hearing the opening of “Take My Breath Away” can transport you back to disco-ball lit dancefloors, gel bracelets and big hair.

“New Slang” - The Shins (Garden State, 2004)
This is still one my favorite Shins songs and it fits so perfectly in the 2004 movie “Garden State.” If you haven’t seen the movie or listened to the soundtrack, do both as soon as possible.

“Footloose” - Kenny Loggins (Footloose, 1984)
In 1984 when Kevin Bacon brough the senior prom to the little town of Beaumont, he also unleashed this 80’s classic.

“Everything I Do” - Bryan Adams (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, 1991)
How this song got picked to go with this movie is beyond me. Even more unexplainable is Kevin Costner’s choice of film roles. What can I say though, I watched it. “Why a spoon, cousin? Why not a fork or a knife?”

“Eye of the Tiger” - Survivor (Rocky III, 1982)
Who doesn’t hear this song and get the urge to strike a boxing pose and go running on the beach? Still one of the greatest movie montage songs ever.

“I Will Always Love You” - Whitney Houston (The Body Guard, 1992)
Probably one of Kevin Costner’s better roles. This song by Whitney Houston went on to become her most popular and overplayed songs to date.

“Rainbow Connection“ - Kermit the Frog
If I’m picking songs that have stood out in movies through the years I have to include Rainbow Connection as sung by Kermit the Frog in the beginning of the 1979 “Muppet Movie.” Am I the only one who’s sung this song in a Kermit voice?

That’s my list. What songs would you add?

MuteMath did an great remix of the original Transformers theme from the 80’s cartoon. It’s on the soundtrack for the Transformers movie by Michael Bay. Anyone who grew up watching the cartoon will appreciate this.

Check it out on iTunes.

What do you think?

Ok, does anyone else out there think that Chuck is one of the greatest new comedies on television right now?

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