The Scoop | Blue Like Jazz The Movie

The Scoop

The Hypocrite’s Non-Endorsement

(February 5, 2010)

by steve

For simplicity’s sake, I don’t do endorsements.

Perhaps you’ve asked me for one in the past - your new album, your latest book, your game-changing product, etc. I’ve politely declined after explaining to you that I’ve maintained a non-endorsement policy for years just so I don’t have to pick and choose who to say yes to. My friends all say they understand. I’m pretty sure they don’t.

This non-endorsement policy of mine is, admittedly, hypocritical:
1) I’ve occasionally solicited endorsements in the past for worthy causes. (Thank you, Mr. Campolo, etc.)
2) I’ve never been offered big money to push a product. How would I respond if, say, Steve Jobs needed “Am I In Sync?” to shill the iPad? (Hmm… the more I imagine that commercial, the more I think it’s a perfect fit.)
3) There are a tiny handful of situations where I’ve violated my own rule. The One Campaign, for example. But when Bono says jump…

I tell you all this to set up my non-endorsement of a movie I’d like you to consider seeing this weekend. The producers haven’t asked me for a shout-out, and it’s already been in theaters a few weeks. But To Save A Life is surprisingly good.

It didn’t sound promising going in. Produced by a church. Written by a youth pastor. Directed by a first-timer. Have we not heard this set-up before? Did we not squirm at the results?

But To Save A Life is different. The acting was generally good, especially the high schoolers. The situations were plausible. And despite its miniscule budget, the movie looks and sounds just fine.

But more important, this is a movie that presents a realistic view of the church. The youth group has its share of hypocrites. The pastor’s kid is a pot-smoking reprobate. The basketball star has a conversion experience midway through the movie… then things get worse for him. Yes, things eventually get better, but, as in life, not all the loose ends get neatly tied up before the movie comes to its believably satisfying ending. (Satisfying, that is, unless you’re big fans of that other church’s movies.)

We’ve all heard Voltaire’s quote that “the perfect is the enemy of the good.” To Save A Life is not a perfect movie. (And I speak from experience on that count.) But it’s breaking new ground, and it’s good enough that it would be ungenerous to waste any of my non-endorsement picking on its faults.

Go see it, and tell me what you think.

And the winner is…

(October 15, 2009)

by steve

13 Comments

We Have A Winner!

Yes, I let this go on for an extra day or so, but I was having so much fun reading your guesses. The Winner of the One-Word Error Prize is Jackie R, who correctly guessed the shocking truth from page 228 of “A Million Miles In A Thousand Years.”

It wasn’t sweat. It was snot.

I tried so hard to hold it in, but gravity had the final say. And even though it’s been twenty-eight years since the actual occurrence, just writing this makes my » » Keep Reading

The One-Word Error Prize

(October 13, 2009)

by steve

24 Comments

Do you remember the last time someone posted or emailed you a group photo that you’re in? Did your eyes, like two heat-seeking missiles, immediately home in on your own face, checking yourself out to see if you looked presentable? Did you mentally Photoshop-out any unsightly blemishes and/or give yourself a virtual nose job?

Neither did I.

I did, however, just finish reading about myself in Donald Miller’s new book “A Million Miles In A Thousand Years.”

The experience is not » » Keep Reading

All Glowy

(August 4, 2009)

by steve

46 Comments

I don’t mean to gush, but I read every one of your hundred-plus comments from the “On Language” blog and it made me all glowy » » Keep Reading

On Language

(July 15, 2009)

by steve

Those who know me will testify that I rarely, if ever, use profanity in my day-to-day speech. (Okay, when I ran the record label there was that one staff meeting when I called that guy an *******, but at the time he really was acting like an ******* and I was merely articulating a consensus view for the purposes of team-building.) » » Keep Reading

Send Us Your Videos!

(June 18, 2009)

by admin

1 Comment

Attention rabid fans and technology buffs:

Are you just so excited about Blue Like Jazz the Movie that you want to shout it from the rooftops? While we can’t provide literal rooftops from which you can shout, we are accepting virtual outpourings of love from YOU, our favorite fans.

Here’s the deal: a lot of people are asking “Why are you making a Blue Like Jazz movie? How is that going to work?” We thought the best way to answer that question » » Keep Reading

Interpoll

(June 12, 2009)

by steve

3 Comments

I woke up in a cold sweat last night realizing that our newly redesigned website needed some sort of “online polling” mechanism. Hence, “The Interpoll.” My hope is that our culturally savvy readership will enjoy this hyphen-free combination of terms with its bonus evocation of international law enforcement and a certain Joy Division-inspired band, and that you’ll exercise your right to vote whenever duty calls. Why The Interpoll? First, it plugs an unsightly hole in the layout. Second, it reminds even the most » » Keep Reading

Some positive feedback on the screenplay

(March 26, 2009)

by erick

5 Comments

Erick here with some encouraging news.

As a part of our efforts to raise money for the film and ensure that we’re developing a screenplay that works for the multitude of constituencies that are required to make a film successful (e.g. fans of Blue Like Jazz and Don Miller, investors, grassroots organizations, studios, the prospective audience, etc.), we’ve asked a number of folks if they would read the screenplay and provide feedback. We know many of you care deeply about how » » Keep Reading

Be My Friend

(March 23, 2009)

by steve

15 Comments

It’s been four months since I joined Facebook.

Like this blog, it was done at management’s insistence – they’re convinced it will be important for the Blue Like Jazz movie’s “future cross-promotional efforts,” and who am I to argue? They gave me a two hour tutorial on How To Facebook, then I left on a Thanksgiving trip with the family. I’ve been overwhelmed and bewildered ever » » Keep Reading

The Troll That Guards the Secret Toilet

(March 10, 2009)

by ctmedia

13 Comments

I have a hard time working apart from the hum of human activity, which is why I’m writing from my favorite coffee house. This is an advantage, in that it negates the need for an office and a receptionist. This is a disadvantage, in that it comes with semi-frequent interruptions from faces I can’t place and names I can’t » » Keep Reading