Inside the Brain of E.C. Henry

Passion for Praise

 Are you the kind of person who has a song in their heart?  

Lotta people here in NE Tennessee aren't shy about singing.  Doesn't take much to get them going. 

Me?  I love singing, but more and more it's the FOCUS of that singing that matters most to me.  My focus is on the Godhead: The Holy Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  I love the Lord, and I have a passion for praise! 

Last month I went on a trip back to Illinois with my mother.  We drove the 650+ mile, one-way trek, in two day increment: 350 miles one day, 300 + the next.  Going at 70 MPH for the most part helped make good time.  Not a lot of cool scenery to take in from Kingsport, TN to Princeton, ILL.  Rather, the highlight came when my my put on some of her "praise" CDs.  Charity Gayle, Terry MacAlmon, and Michael W. Smith.  Back when my mom had Covid and on what the hospital tried to make her death bed, but the Lord had a better outcome for my mom -- her miraculous healing!  Praise the Lord. During her stay in the Covid ward of the hospital, while her heath was on the brink I was in her hospital room playing praise music: Terry MacAlmon, Michael W. Smith, and Don Moen.  So who are artists like: Terry MacAlmon, Charity Gayle, Don Moen and Michael W. Smith?  They are performers who tailor their music to worship the Lord.  High worship is what the first three specialize in.  Michael W.Smith in recent years has gotten closer to being a "high worship" performer, but I'm not sure he's there yet.

So what is "high worship"?

High worship is a brand of music where the focus is on worshiping the godhead: the Holy Father, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  Is it the kind of music you hear in church?  Probably, though to say that definitively I'd hafta here that for myself, because there in Christian music that is about Christian living, but doesn't go to the level of high worship.  Here's a shortened version of one of my favorite "high praise" songs right now:

Do you love the Lord?  That is really the starting point of high worship; a performers desire to honor and bless the Lord through song.  Focus is everything when it comes to "high worship".  High worship require a focus on the Godhead, NOT on people.  Praising the Lord and desiring to see and be close to Him are recurrent themes in high worship.

The funny thing about "high worship" is that it's relatively easy to do.  I do it all the time.  Sometimes in the car on the way to work.  Sometimes in church as part of the corporate body of Christ.  Sometimes at work when opportunity allows.  Thankfully I've been blessed over the years to be exposed to many "high worship" songs.  Times of worship in church are a great springboard for individual worship of God throughout the week.  When you go to church you should be getting exposed to high worship songs as: Lord, I Lift Your Name on High, I Love You Lord (which sounds like a wedding procession), Blessed be the Name of Lord, (Jesus) Name Above All Names, How Great is Our God, Holy Ground, Amazing Grace and the like.

I've found that focusing on worshiping the Lord helps bring peace to my being.  When I praise God, there is a spiritual renewing that happens; a lifting of burdens when the Lord is praised in song, be that corporately as the body of Christ (the church) or individually.  Praising the Lord is also a key part of spiritual warfare and taking back ground that Satan occupies.  The children of Israel were told to march around the walls of Jericho and praise God.  In obediently doing so, God caused the walls to fall down and the children of Israel took over an enemy's stronghold.

Struggle with sin?   Praise the Lord in song and ask Him for His deliverance.  Praising the Lord in song acknowledges His greatness, and many times gets the Lord to do great things in the world. 

So don't give the devil any room to operate in your life, praise the Lord through song and do your part to see the power of God act in your life and in your immediate surroundings.  We were all made to be worshipers of God in some form or another.  And sometimes when we worship the Lord in spirit and truth the  Heavenly choirs  join in.  I heard a story about that on the Alaskan seacoast where I guy was playing simple worship music with a guitar, that was recorded only to find that when that recording was played back their were  angelic voices  with it!  I heard a recording of this when I was a young Christian in the early 1990s.  Don't have that recording anymore, BUT I did buy a CD from Terry MacAlum, On the 4th track of his The Sound of Heaven, the  choir of Heaven    joins in and becomes part of the later part of the song for I Stand in Awe/The Sound of Heaven. 

Set your heart right and give the Lord the praise that He deserves.  As the age of Gentiles draws to a close made it point of yours to be known as a lover of God through song.  That is an attribute of character that I desire, to be known and recognized as lover and worshiper of the One, True God.  To God be  the glory , amen!  

Panache

a stylish, original, and very confident way of doing thing that makes people admire you - Cambridge dictionary.

a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair - Dictionary.com

Panache

I opened this post with a RAW selfie I took late this morning, on the eve of a mini-vacation I'm slated to take with my mom to Illinois for a cousins 50th wedding family gathering.  Since one's panache (or lack thereof) begins with an assessment of personality, a picture of a given person is good place to start.  Didn't show you a picture of me in full, E.C. Henry expanded persona regalia.  Truth of the mater is at age 54 now, I wonder if I'll ever get to that stage of dressing up in creative jester style again.  Sigh...  I did think I could pull it off, just never had the stage to do so.  Here's someone who did, however:

Cutest ringmaster in the history of ever: the one and only, Taylor Swift!

Elvis : a great talent who STILL inspires long after his death

Truth be told I think the origins of modern performance can be traced back to the days of Elvis Presley and his style and changes from the 50s through the later 70s up until his death.  Seems to me Elvis got progressively more flamboyant in his constumeing and performances the longer his career went on.  Was drugs to blame?  Maybe in part, but I think Elvis felt the need to keep pushing the envelope to remain relevant.  

Elton John: Most flamboyant piano player in the history of  keyboards 

Dance-wise NOBODY can touch the panache Michael Jackson brought to modern entertainment

Later in the 70s, Elton John even made piano playing flamboyant!  Of course then came Michael Jackson in the 80s and early 90s.  These days there is kind of a dearth of performers with panache.  Last real good one was probably Lady Gaga, who was known for her outrageous outfits and costuming earlier in her career.  These days she's toned that down considerably.  Not real familiar with her music, but I remember her singing once impressed, I think that was at the Oscars one year as a song performer.

Girl / goofball / Gaga

Gaga  in glitz!

For me as a writer's panache is most important to be seen on the page, rather than in how one presents themself in public.  

I guess you would say writers and those of the written word attempt to display panache and individuality by their "voice".  Your "writing voice" is how you as author come across to readers and the public, that's usually just by how you use words and paragraphs to tells stories.  

Panache in writing matters.  Don't have panache in writing, you're probably not going to sell anything or develop a following.  But panache is not directly tied to notoriety and status.  There are undiscovered talents.  And in order to ever get discovered you have to have something of merit that solicits interest.  Hence, a hopeful needs to already be interesting and possess some degree of polished panache BEFORE they become a household name.  Personal panache matters whether you're a superstar like Taylor Swift, or a undiscovered talent at the bottom rung like me, E.C. Henry.  

Taylor Swift is a discovered and celebrated talent.  

But alas, E.C. Henry lives in obscurity (as of 9-20-2023, at the time of the writing of this post).

Not that I'm not bitter about that or anything else anymore.  I'll just make the best art I can, and do so without selling my soul or my principles. 

I love studying superstars.  Why they do what they do.  Not a big outfit guy.  I think as artist I want three different looks.  Sexy jester, and stylish writer for sure.  Not sure what the third look should be yet.  BUT I acknowledge that's important. 

Creatively I just finished a Lit Expression rewrite of the Indians of the Ancient Plains script that I originally completed in 2007.  Got it with my coverage guy now  We'll see how he likes it..  Next up I'm going to pursue a creature-horror spec.  Also need to be back the The Legend of Thars.  Really wanna publish those books. 

Whether or not you like me, I do value creativity and panache.  In pursuit of my own version therein, I am resolved not to descend into homosexuality or any other sexual or moral deviancy.  First and foremost, E.C. Henry is a Christian; a follower of Christ.  I prize Jesus above all.  He's my God, not the praise of a crowd.  And He will guide me creatively to be the best I can possibly be without straying to point of losing faith. 

Jesus is Lord.  Upon that cornerstone I build and make art.  So happy with my last script I was able to fuse some aspect of faith into story that's one third, Dances with Wolves; one third, Jurassic Park; and one third, Pan's Labyrinth.  No matter what I write may it be blessed from an On-high enabling from above.  I always want my talent to be God given.  For me I think that began when I was modeling clay while watching the mini-series, Jesus of Nazareth on TV in the late 1970s.  

Panache: flamboyance in style or action.  I've got it.  God's infused that in my character.

 

2023 NFL Season Predictions and Hopes of E.C. Henry

This year's BEST, and most anticipated game of the year might be the opener on Monday Night Football where the Buffalo Bills visit East Rutherford, New Jersey to take on the New York Jets.

Josh Allen has taken the Buffalo Bills to the cusp of success in the AFC the last two years...

At the advent of the 2023 NFL season, the division I'm most interest in is the AFC East, which consists of the New York Jets, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins.  In recent years the Tom Brady led New England Patriots dominated this division so for basically two decades the AFC East was a bore-fest.  But recently Buffalo Bills under their Brett Favre-esque gunslinger, Josh Allen have come one and become of the funner teams to watch in NFL.  And in the last couple years Miami has come on a little bit.  But the real interesting team in the division is the New York Jets.  For twenty years that franchise has floundered.  But now with all these emerging draft picks and the bold decision to bring in a proven veteran quarterback in --

Maybe it's time that NY Jets made some waves in the NFL.  The week 1, Monday Night Football match, for my $$ is the most interesting game of the season.  Are the NY Jets for real?  How the fare against the division winner and one of the NFL's best and most well-rounded teams will go a long way to sorting out the most interesting divisional race in all of the NFL in the 2023 season: the AFC East.

Now as for the rest of the NFL, there is as always a bunch of interesting story-lines to follow.  From my way of thinking here are the best NFL story-lines to follow:

1. Can the Denver Broncos bounce back with Russell Wilson as their starting quarterback in his 2nd year there?  The 2022 season had to be a COLOSSAL disappointment for the Denver Broncos.  Russell Wilson was a good quarterback for this 9 years in Seattle, but he never had a stand-out game for the Broncos in 2022.  Can new, head coach Sean Payton help return Russell Wilson to the days of past glory?  Well, I doubt it, but from this Seahawk fan's perspective I'll be keeping tabs on the Broncos season from afar.  
2. Can Trevor Lawrence continue on his assent and become an elite quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, or will the team regress in 2023?  Let's face it there division of the AFC central should be a CAKE-WALK for them to win.  The Tennessee Titans had a bad year in 2022 and don't look like they've improved their team at all for the 2023 season.  The Houston Texas should be gawd-awful again.  The Indianapolis Colts are starting an inexperienced rookie who had accuracy problems in college.  So it's hard to imagine the Jaguars not going into the 2024 playoff as division winners and maybe even with the #1 seed...  But there's still Kansas City, Buffalo, and  Cincinnati  to contend with -- so are the Jaguars ready to compete for an AFC championship?  Can Trevor Lawrence build on his promising 2022 season?  Hmmm....
3. What will an Ezekiel Elliot-less Dallas Cowboys be like in 2023?  I'm a huge Dax Prescott believer.  I think he's a good quarterback.  And I've always like what he's delivered on the field.  And Jerry Jones always has something up his sleeve, as he keeps his team interesting year after year.  Like 'em or hate 'em whatever's going on in big D is always interesting.  This year it's what an Ezekiel Elloit-less Dallas Cowboy team can do on the ground.  Personally, I think they're in trouble; and they will miss having have a bell-cow back.  We'll see...
4. Will Bryce Young be able to make it though all 17 games as a starter for the Carolina Panthers?  I would bet heavy on the "no" on that front.  From what I saw in the pre-season Carolina has a bad offensive line, and Bryce Young will be running for his life.  I think the Alabama Heisman winner is in for long season with one of the worst teams in football.  
5. Will the acquisition of  Aarron Rogers  be enough to get the New York Jets into the playoffs?  It looks like their 2nd year wide receiver, Garrett Wilson, is poised to be the next great wide receiver.  Barring injury, I think the Jets should be a fun to watch in 2023.  With all of their divisional games being tooth-and-nail dog fights. 
6. Will the Green Bay Packers be any good with Jordan Love as their starting quarterback?  If you look at the pre-season, you'd be inclined to believe that they won't miss a beat with  Aarron Rogers  gone.  BUT, I don't believe that.  Who do the Packers have as wide outs?  Nobody!  And Aarron Jones, their star running back for the past few years is starting to reach that age where running backs go from being all-stars to has-beens.  And what about the Packers' defense?  There not making any waves.  Seems to me the 2023 season will be disappointing for Packer fans who are used to their team winning 12-13 games.
7. Are the Detroit Lions really going to be playoff contenders in 2023?  Now as to this, I feel real confident they will.  For starters their division isn't headlined by an unbeatable behemoth anymore.  Sure the Vikings have a proven all-star in wide receiver Justin Jefferson.  But one all star doesn't make a team.  Not sold on the Chicago Bears.  And Green Bay looks like a team in transition.  Which sets the stage for Detroit to really be the top pick to win the division.  Doesn't feel right to say out of your mouth, but the stars are aligning for Detroit to be in some meaningful games in December/January. 
8. Did San Francisco make the right choice at quarterback?  Last year in the NFC Championship game the quarterback wheels fell off.  Brock Purdy got injured and his back-up couldn't do anything.  Well, this year it looks like San Francisco is going BACK to Brock Purdy, while newcomer and perennial under-achiever Sam Darnold is his back-up.  As for last years starter at the beginning of the year, Trey Lance; he's rumored to be on his way to Dallas. So did they "give up" prematurely on this young quarterback?  I honestly don't know the answer to that.  But what happens with Trey Lance in the 2023 NFL season does merit an eye from those who love NFL football.
9. Bottom looking up view go to the south of both the AFC and NFC.  Atlanta looks totally hopeless with Desmond Ritter as their starting quarterback.  The AFC South has two of the other most hapless teams in the AFC with the Colt and Texans, both of whom have quarterback who figure to be awful in 2023: Anthony Richardson, and C.J. Stroud.  Expect the worst team distinctions to come down to either Atlanta or Arizona.  Both teams look dreadful to me.
10. Best non-quarterback of interest in 2023 comes from Aiden Hutchinson in Detroit and Jalen Carter who's a rookie in Philedelphia. 
11. Big surprises: Head coaches Bill Bellick and Pete Carroll get fired at the end of the year.

Going into this year there's not a lot of buzz about my team, the Seattle Seahawks.  Gino Smith is still the starting quarterback and from what I've heard he took the off-season real seriously and changed his diet and is in top shape.  His problem is he isn't elite talent, but his work ethic and commitment to honing his craft is commendable.  Hopefully our new wide receiver from Ohio State: Jaxon Njimba-Smith; is able to recover from wrist surgery and be able to compliment Tyler Locket and the under-performing DK Metcaff.  I really wanna rally around that potential star, but the week in, week out performance of the mercupial star, doesn't warrant it.   Much easier to root for Tyler Locket who is a pro's pro and delivers a solid effort week after week. 

Superstar or bust?  After 4 years of lack-luster play, E.C. Henry says DISAPPOINTMENT!

The Seahawks defense against the run was bad in 2022, even though it was aided quite generously by playing lesser teams.  When push comes to shove I don't think they have enough beef in the middle to stop the run in 2023, and that will end up costing them a bunch of games.  Sure they brought Bobby Wagner back -- but he doesn't play nose tackle!  To fill that role they brought back Jarran Reed, who's never played that position before.  The Seahawks are also highly questionable when it comes to the center position.  One player to look-out for -- if he makes the team -- in Jake Bobo.  He's an undrafted WR out of UCLA who's been making big plays and scoring touchdowns in pre-season.  So hoping he beats out Dee Eskridge who is a huge disappointment and has to sit out 6 games even if he makes the team.    

Yeah, I'll always be a Seattle Seahawk fan, but I'm also realistic.  Their week 1 bout against the Rams in Seattle will go a long way to setting the trajectory of the rest of their season.  If they can't stop the Rams running attack, it's going to be a long year for the Seattle Seahawks.  Our big  "X"  factor this year is Jamaal Adams.  Last year he got injured early.  This year, he's not played at all in the pre-season.  And I'm curious to see what he's got left in the tank, as a few years ago Jamaal was a celebrated player coming over from the NY Jets.

E.C. Henry's 2023 NFL Regular Season Predictions:

NFC WEST: San Francisco 49ers 12-5, Los Angeles Rams 9-8, Seattle Seahawks 8-9, Arizona Cardinals 1-16

NFC EAST: Philedelfia Eagles: 11-6, New York Giants 10-7, Dallas Cowboys 9-8, Washington Commanders, 4-13

NFC CENTRAL: Detroit Lions: 13-4, Chicago Bears 9-8, Minnesota Vikings 7-10, Green Bay Packers 6-11

NFC SOUTH: New Orleans Saints: 11-6, Tampa Bay Buccaners 7-10, Carolina Panthers 3-14, Atlanta Falcons 3-14

AFC WEST: Kansas City Chiefs 11-6, Los Angeles Chargers 9-8, Denver Broncos 9-8, Los Vegas Raiders 7-10

AFC CENTRAL:  Cincinnati Bengals  14-3, Cleveland Browns 10-7, Baltimore Ravens 8-9, Pittsburgh Steelers 4-13

AFC EAST: NY Jets 11-6, Buffalo Bills 10-7, Miami Dolphins 9-8, New England Patriots 6-11

AFC SOUTH: Jacksonville 11-6, Tennessee Titans 9-8, Houston Texans 5-12, Indianapolis Colts 2-15

Regular Season MVP:  Joe Burrow  of the  Cincinnati Bengals   

2024 NFL Playoff Predictions:

Wildcard round:  Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers: 20-30, Chicago Bears @ Philedeflia Eagles: 16-47, New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints: 26-12, Los Angeles Chargers @ Jacksonville Jaguars: 22-21, Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets: 19-17, Cleveland Browns @ Kansas City Chiefs: 34-35

Divisional playoff: New York Giants @ Detroit: 15-14, Philedefia @ San Francisco 49ers: 13-31, Los Angeles Chargers @  Cincinnati Bengals : 34-38, Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs: 13-36.

Conference Championship Games: New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers: 26-23, Kansas City Chiefs @  Cincinnati Bengals : 20-24

Super Bowl: New York Giants vs.  Cincinnati Bengals : 22-35  With  Joe Mixon  being the  Super Bowl MVP 

I can't believe I'm saying this but I think the  Cincinnati Bengals  are the team to beat in the 2023/2024 NFL Season: winnable division,  solid roster  with no reason to believe they'll be a big drop-off from 2022 to 2023. 

Isn't always a "sleeper" who surprises you?  This year I predict that will be   Joe Burrow  and the  Cincinnati Bengals .  

Treasure Chest

If you were to name the ONE thing on this planet that you treasure the most, what would that be?

Perhaps that would be actual treasure that explorers seek after an adventure at the bottom of the ocean:

If ruled by one's stomach and a carnal appetite you might choose:

Portillo's  Italian Beef sandwich  is ALWAYS a treat!

If you find yourself always chasing the  best scenery  that brings peace to your soul perhaps this --

Is your  treasure .

If you're anything like me, perhaps its a deep, unsatisfied longing for love that makes me prize celebrities as your "treasure":

If you have a creative bend, or consuming hobby, perhaps it's those endeavors that you "treasure" the most: Hey, I hear E.C. Henry is writing an updated version of Indians of the Ancient Plains.  I'll bet that's a good one!  

Well, if you hold to that opinion, you'd be right!  

Hoping to have that updated draft done soon.  In fact, today on my day off, I'm SUPPOSED to be working on that right now, but instead I'm writing this blog post...

Then there's always one's  heath .  For if you don't have  good heath  it's hard to enjoy much of anything.  So maybe that's your "treasure".

Now while I would agree that all of these things are important: a good meal, an inviting environment, an active social life, fun interests that keep your mind engaged, and good health; none are as important as one's spiritual life.  Because no matter what hand you've been dealt, you belong to God and will one day be accountable to Him whether you serve or acknowledge Him or not.  

This leads me to what I treasure the most, and that's --

The Holy Bible 

Yep, it doesn't get any better than reading  the bible .  Why?  Because in reading the bible we connect with God.  The bible is God's written world of what He wanted man to read and study if they were serious about getting to know Him.

Even thought of  the bible  that way?  God's  written testimony  of what He wants those created in His image to know about Him?

Well, from my perspective that's what  the bible  is: God's testimony of Himself designed to be what He wants us to know as we live a life of faith.  

The Christian faith isn't a blind faith.  No, it's based on the testimony and precepts advocated in the bible.  

 The bible  is filled with stories of men and women.  Some were "good examples" of what it was like to live a life of faith:  Jesus , Abraham, Noah, Moses, David.  While others showed examples of people who failed: Cain, the first king of Israel, Saul; Lot's wife, Nebucadnezzer's son, Rehoboam: Soloman's son.  So many examples and various ways that people pleased God.  And on the other hand, examples of those who made God angry in some capacity. 

You can live your life apart from  the bible , but I believe you do so to your own peril.   God's Word  wasn't written for no reason.  No, it is the means which God provided for people on Earth to come to know Him.  Yes, by reading  the bible  you can come to know who God is and what His character is like.  How many other books can claim that?  Hence,  God's Word  is a treasure.  It's MY treasure chest, and from the  precepts  therein I glean the  guiding principals  that govern my life.  And it all starts with the cornerstone,  Jesus Christ .  Jesus Christ is my Lord, the One I pledge my allegiance to.  The One I want to please the most. 

Do I always succeed at pleasing the Lord?  Come on, man.  Not even Jesus's closest disciples did that, and were around Him all the time.  

Faith begins with a love for the Lord.  And that's something I can't give you.  Hopefully I can provoke you in some way that guides you to the cross and faith and dependence on Jesus.  But I can't give you what I have.  No, salvation is worked out individually.  One-on-one.  Inhabitant of Earth to the Creator of all. 

Sometimes I get real down on myself for not being a stronger Christian than I am.  I got "saved" many years ago (1990), and in those 33 years since have been around some of the finest examples of the faith one could ever hope to be mentored by.  I, E.C. Henry, come from good stock. 

But no matter where you come from: a good place or a bad one; we are all accountable for what we know.  And I believe you will be held accountable if you knew you had access to  God's Word  but never pursued it to find out what's in it. 

Treasure is what's in  God's Word .

Why is it treasure? 

Because it's the record God chose for us to know Him.  Everyone is the called to find there place at the base of the cross, to honor Jesus and be restored into fellowship with God.  So no matter what place you are in life, do not neglect to spend time in  God's Word .  May that grow to be a great treasure in your life.

   

A Year of Sobriety

The last time I drank alcohol is easy to remember, July 4th.  I remember that because the next day I was due to go back to a job that wasn't working out, and I got so drunk that I said some things I shouldn't have to some family members and ended up getting the cops called on me, and spending 5 days in an emergency physic ward.  End-up having to pay about $2,500, in unnecessary medical expenses.  All because my family wouldn't let me "sleep it off".  After a year away from it, I think I'm ready to go back to some level or recreational drinking, but my mom wants me to stay off it.  Hopefully, I can convince her otherwise, as for the past six months I've been basically off alcohol for her and not for me.  I miss my Budweisers...  

Over a year sober now.  For a while it was a lot of AA meetings, but over the past six months that's cooled off considerably.  Never bought in fully to the Alcoholics Anonymous program and probably never will.  Did try to read what they call their "big book", but it was rather unengaging and I ended up giving it back to them.  

Recently I did have some pretty cool milestones in my sobriety, however; I went to a coupe after-work parties where some of my coworkers were drinking, and I didn't break; I didn't feel the desire to drink alcohol even when there were doing so right next to me.  In fact seeing them drink beer and mixed drinks didn't really phase me at all    

I still go to AA Meetings on their big Sunday Night get together a couple miles from where I live.  Haven't gone to a weekly meeting in months.  I'm still taking notes on those who speak on Sunday nights, but I'm only speaking these days if asked to.  I'm farrr from the pro-typical, recovering alcoholic; and would be a hypocrite if I talked like a true devotee to the program.  First off, I no longer consider myself "recovering" nor do I consider alcoholism a "disease".  A disease is something you catch, whereas you being an alcoholic is more of choice you make.  Sure, some people have weaker constitutions and lack the will power to quit, but in the end alcoholism is something an individual brings on themselves, whereas a true disease afflicts apart from the choices you make.  That said, I've learned to keep my mouth shut as some people need that out thinking erroneously that some disease got them and made them alcoholics, when in fact it was their own choice that brought them to that point.  

Still, I've heard enough drinking horror stories to know that some people really got it bad, and it's all they could do to stop drinking.  They needed outside help.  Thankfully, AA was there to help them on their journey towards self-improvement, which at it's core is what Alcoholics Anonymous is all about, and that's something I can get behind.  

Theology-wise I never bought into "working the 12 steps of AA".  Why?  Because after you get sober and say you're sorry to the people who need to hear that, what are doing continuing to make amends?  One of our leaders in the local AA branch I attend is still talking about "making amends" and he's been sober for over 5 years.  Step wise, I guess you need to go through some of them when you initially recover from prolonged states of drinking.  But there's only a couple of AA steps after that you need to revist.  The first step where you admitted you were powerless over alcohol and that your life had become unmanagable, and the step where you sought God and asked Him to remover your defects of character.  The rest of it is kind spurious. 

Don't get me wrong I think Alcoholic Anonymous is really good especially when you have a problem and need a support structure to help you through that first month when you decide not to drink anymore.  Changing established habits isn't easy.  I found the initial commraderie in AA Meetings very beneficial.  It definitely helped me get and stay sober.  But in the end I never developed lasting friendships there.  And found that re-enforcing the negative: that you're an alcoholic committed to not drinking alcohol anymore; wasn't enough to sustain my interest once felt I had a handle on my drinking which happened probably about five months into my forced alcohol abstinence. 

So if I've been sober this long (over a year now) why am I thinking about going back?  Well, for starters I liked drinking, and don't consider it a negative.  True, I don't wanna go down the same road I did before, but after a long day at work you bet I wanna stop at a bar and have a couple Budweisers.  It was on our family trip to Florida over Christmas that I first really started thinking about drinking again.  We reached a pool side bar, and I really wanted a mixed or a beer.  

I mixed too much business with pleasure in the past.  Drank while doing yard work and work around the house.  Drank while line editing scripts.  I'll be the first to admit I did it wrong at times.  But in the end, to me, drinking is a form of leisure and relaxation.  If I can keep to that and avoid the obvious pitfalls, why not go back and enjoy my life?  Especially since I'm not an AA devotee.

Later tonight I do plan on going to the big, 7 p.m. AA meeting.  I'm doing that more these days to appease my mom and my brother's family, and less for myself.  I guess a little negative re-enforcement does help keep me on the path of the straight and narrow, but I stopped getting AA chips a while ago, and try not to give off the impression that I'm living the AA life because I know I'm not.  Need more positives to strive for, simply resisting alcohol is not enough. 

For now I'm sober as a judge.  Maybe it's for the best, as God purifies His people and the day of the rapture nears.  That's one of the tenets that keeps me sober; wanting to be considered more acceptable to God.  But boy is that ever hard on me from time-to-time.  Truth is I'd rather have my Budweisers again -- just not the harmful extent I used to.  The reluctant alcoholic in recovery I guess that's where I'm at these days; family pressure keeps me from going back to drinking because of my own constitution, I'd start drinking again like right now! 

One year sober has shown that I can "give it up" if I have to.  A year ago I needed to display that I could go without alcohol.  A year later I've proved that I can.  Now I just need my mom to release me...  I guess I should pray more about that decision to.  Not that I hear the voice of God all the time, but He: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; is my Lord.  I'm not a Christian in vain.  It is a life of faith, and in that there is a lot of room for discovery for what works and what doesn't.  I like my Budweisers and want them back in my life again!     

In other heath related news I recently started taking testosterone pills.  And boy, oh, boy have I ever notice the difference!  Got a lot more more energy.  And my job isn't "draining me" like it had been.  Don't know if this is a temporary thing or if this affect will last, but it's been a welcome one.  Hoping to buy some of that facial creme that Cindy Crawford's hawking too!  Going to try to fight looking old.  We live in great age to look great longer -- and I'm not going down without a fight!  I may be 54, but I sure don't wanna look it!

Indians of the Ancient Plains -- Page 1 in Lit Expression!

One of the projects I'm working on now it retrofitting an old script from 16 years ago that I wrote with lit expression.  The script's title is Indians of the Ancient Plains, and it is probably THE BEST script and story I've ever penned.  So I'm pretty excited to be re-visiting it after a long time away.  

Last weekend I had one of my old scripts reviewed over at Scriptshadow: Bubblehead Saves the Day.  I knew when I submitted it that it had some serious flaw in it.  Sometimes when you write something you lose track of what's good and what's bad.  Anyway, from the review I got and some of my fellow writers suggestions I did come up with a tentative "game plan" to improve that teen comedy.  But right now I'm on the clock to turn in a new version of  Indians of the Ancient Plains  to Carson Reeves for a paid critique.

Truth be told a few years back I did start rewriting Cowboy Alien Diaries in lit expression, but didn't get too far with that until other writing projects rose to prominence.  

Right now I'm actively working on THREE projects:

1. Editing the 4th novel in the Legend in Thars series
2. Crafting an updated version of the script,  Indians of the Ancient Plains  in lit expression.
3. Creating a new, creature horror spec. script that takes place on the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

Hopefully sometime later in the year I'll get back to creating an updated version of Bubblehead Saves the Day, as I'm not the kind of writer who likes to leave a project that I know I can do better at. 

I'm pretty jazzed about the new version of  Indians of the Ancient Plains .  For starters I LOVE this story.  In the next rev. of it I'm hoping to make its text look rustic/treasure map-esque.  It's going to take a lot of work, but so far so good.  You can judge for yourself how the 1st page turned out. With some help from the writers over at Scriptshadow I did come up what I think is an improved logline:

 A valiant, Native American brave goes on a religious quest for the truth amidst a cutthroat feud with a rival tribe, an emerging love interest, and threats posed by the last of the dinosaurs. 

Writing in lit expression is a lot like making pancakes.  Just gotta keep honing until I find the perfect mix that makes the story sing.  And as for the cinematography of this story.  Well-p, they say a picture is worth a 1,000 words so:

  

Reviving the Raunch-com: No Hard Feelings (2023); Exploring Issues in Rom-com Movies: Volume 74

Last weekend I took the time to see the new raunch-com, No Hard Feelings (staring Jennifer Lawrence, written by Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips).  I did laugh a few times, but overall I found that movie lacking.  

No Hard Feelings is the story about a woman in her early 30s who finds herself desperate for a new car so she agrees to a rich couples wish for a woman to start "dating" their introverted son and give him some life experience with girls before he heads off to college.

First off the acting by the leads in this raunch-com is top rate.  Hats off to Jennifer Lawrence and newcomer Andrew Barth Feldman who play the sexpot and the introvert, respectfully.  I heard some bad things about Jennifer Lawrence going into this movie, with some people doubting whether or not she could do comedy.  Boy-oh-boy, can she ever!  Not sold as her being a raving beauty, but this little firecracker gets acting and she has RANGE!  As for Andrew Barth Feldman, he is this generation's Michael Cera of: Juno, Superbad, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; fame.  Andrew does a fine job depicting the sensitive romantic type who is resident about coming out of his shell.  

Of all the movies I've ever watched No Hard Feelings was THE FIRST that I thought the director didn't allow the scenes to go on long enough.  I think there were lots of more laughs to be had, had some of the key scenes in this movie went on longer. 

Overall, I'd rate No Hard Feelings a 6.5 out of 10; more good than bad, but not nearly good enough to top top 25 best romantic comedies of all-time.

The worst thing about this movie was the cliche and outright poor depictions of Percy's parents.  Mathew Broderick didn't add anything to the picture, imo.  They only seemed to exist in reality to worry about their son, Percy (Feldman's character); and didn't come across as real life people at all.  

So how does No Hard Feelings affect the future of the genre?  Are rom-com's "back"?  

I have the power to revive the genre, E.C.  Just not enough power to get this guy off me!

I'd have to say the romantic comedy genre as a whole is still on shaky ground after the release of No Hard Feelings.  But at least Jennifer Lawrence is in play now!  Back in 2012 she co-stared with Bradley Cooper in David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook.  I though she was EXCELLENT in that fine romantic comedy as well.  My only caveat with Jennifer Lawrence's performance in No Hard Feelings was that she allowed herself to be filmed totally naked in a skinny dipping scene.  Those full nudity shots should have never happened.  You can film nude shots and not go all X rated on an audience that expects laughs.  Had I been on set I would have called for shots of Jennifer's thighs and feet, and upper torso shots above the breasts to cue the audience that she was naked--yet not actually showing her bare breasts and womanhood on the screen.

In a separate note, if you're interested, on my past scripts got reviewed and commented on over at Scriptshadow, Bubblehead Saves the Day.  I thought the script was better than it was.  Oh, how time changes your perspective on past works.  Still, though I failed on most of the early set-up of Bubblehead Saves the Day, I did get some very useful notes.  One commenter who goes by the handle of "Montana Gillis" even went so far as to write an improved opening scene that I'm probably going to go with when I get to rewriting that script.  So, yes, I do take criticism seriously and if you do offer advice that actually helps past script of mine, I am open to using those improvements.  I've never been of the mind to be it's my way or the highway when it comes to my own writing.  In the end I just wanna craft the best piece of entertainment I'm capable of.

Lots to do these days, edit the epic fantasy series, crafts a new horror creature screenplay, update Bubblehead Saves the Day, and get a draft of Indians of the Ancient Plains over to Carson Reeves for a paid, script consultation.  Yeah, Carson had a half-off scripts notes offer and I took him up on it.  Indians of the Ancient Plains is my favorite script.  It's the "big hitter" that I wanted Steven Spielberg to do. 

Growing Your Plots

I recently got a new idea for a creature horror movie from the most unexpected of sources.  Someone who ROUTINELY was making fun of me at a screenwriting site that frequent quite often.  This user posted a logline, then once I showed interest in it actually gave it to me without any strings to develop it on my own.  I think this idea may well be my follow-up to Preytorium, a creature horror screenplay I wrote in 2020.

No, I haven't given up on editing Thars.  Rather, this potential new project is something I'm working on on the proverbial "  backburner ".  

So once or twice a week I plan on working on his new idea in the hopes of "growing" a new plot.  

The funny thing is you get ideas for new stories all the time.  But don't always pursue those ideas right away.  Don't know if I'll be able to "grow" this horror story this year or if it will slide back on the docket; but right now it's a go.  The timing is right to start working on a new horror story, as ideally I'd have it done by mid-to-late October, and ready to share with the rest of my screenwriting friends.  As a writer, YES, I think in those terms; when on the calendar I could conceivably have another story/screenplay ready to show.  And what better time to have a NEW horror screenplay ready to show than just before Halloween when everyone's mind is on horror offerings.  Thus an audience's interest will be piqued. 

So how does one "grow" plots?  Well, I like to start with the kernel of an idea that my mind thinks is fun one, worthy of exploring.    

I'm not a big fan of writing a logline first, then building off that, because I like my stories to be more nebulous, open-ended, not being limited by the constraints of following a logline.  I think loglines are best used as a SELLING device once you have a story in fixed form that you're happy with as an author.  

You "grow" stories by adding potential scenes to them, and filling them with characters.  

Last week, while at work during break time, I jotted down a preliminary list of characters that I thought might be used in this new horror story I am developing.  When "growing" stories to be written I like to bounce back and forth between scenes and character work, as most times exploring potential characters leads to more scenes to fill the plot.  

Plot and character play off each other.  Character work helps "grow" the plot.  

Anyway, I'm still at the infant level of developing this new horror story.  Research will also help "grow" the plot into a functionable story.  

I'm a critical mass believer.  When I write stories I like to keep a slush file of various mass which is related to the story that I'm growing.  No story starts out already written -- even when you start out with a high degree of inspiration.  So when I'm growing a story I capture moments of inspiration, write them down, and add them to the slush file.  When I have enough critical mass, it's time to take that material and organize it into an outline. 

Steps E.C. Henry typically takes when developing a new story:

1. Get inspired by an idea that I think has merit.  This is the most crucial aspect of story development; the author has to be excited about a given ideas potential.  The guy at Scriptshadow wasn't really excited about the logline he posted.  He just posted it.  Sometimes that happens, a creative gets an "idea", but isn't sold on it.  It has no value to him or her.  I've done this before too; come up with ideas that I knew I'd never really wanna set out to write.  The key is to find an idea that you are passionate about, something that gets your creative juices to flow.  This is the seed from which all else is in creative story telling is sprung,
2. Open a slush file.  This is used to house all your notes, potential scenes and research you do for a given project.
3. Come up with a couple cool scenes that flesh the initial idea out a bit.  Scenes are the lifeblood of screenplays.  If you can't think in terms of scene writing you should never attempt to write a screenplay.  And if you can't come up with a couple scenes that excite you, don't bother going forward and attempt to write that script/story.  Envisioning scenes in crucial to the story formation process.  When you start out you're looking for several potential scenes that speak to you as a creative writer.
4. Begin to form a character roster.  Who's going to be in the story you're helming?  Get an idea of who's needed in the story you're embarking on telling.  Most times I start out with more characters than I'll end up using.  This is what you want as a writer.  Why?  Because it leaves room for you to weed out the weaker characters and build your story around the ones that are most interesting.  When growing your plot no character is set in stone, you're free to change names and elevate or diminish whoever you want.  As a writer you want to focus your energy on building up the characters who interest you the most.  Invariably some characters will fall by the wayside, while the most important characters emerge.
5. Do some research.  This can be character based: their occupation, typically.  And it can be setting based: where the story takes place.  And it can be device based research: how things work, like when I wrote When the Motorcycle Calls I had to research banks security systems to make the robbers robbery attempt believable.  When "growing" a plot it's perfectly normal to be all over the place doing research.  Basically anything you consider being part of your story is fair game for research.  Just don't get overtaken by research.  Rather focus your research on what could belong and add value to your story/screenplay.
6. Reassess your critical mass.  Go through the items in your slush file.  The bigger your slush file, the better.   
7. Begin to index card out a potential plot.  Me, I love my corkboard.  I always think in terms of three act structure: ACT I, II, and III.  Sometimes cards/potential scenes move around, but for the most part I've found they don't move much.  It's simply a matter if the scene proves strong enough to remain.  Always seek to have more scenes in a story your planning on writing rather than the bare minimum to fill out the slate and write a screenplay that's 90-120 pages long.  Why?  Because that will give you leeway to remove the weaker scenes.  Always be looking to make the strongest story you're capable of writing.  But in the growing stage, you don't have that number fixed yet.  So it's a good idea to have more scenes than you think you'll need.
8. Do your character work.  This includes a master roster, and bios of your main characters.  Write out their motivations, and backstories.  Backstory info doesn't always make it into the script, but the more backstory you have, the more real the characters will feel for the writer as he or she writes their story. 
9. Formalize your index cards into the three act structure and come up with your ACT I and II breakpoints; and have an end in mind.  Nothing's set in stone, but I think a writer is best served by having a final destination in mind before they sit down to write their screenplay.  

 Stories  are like  plants .  They grow.  Limbs appear.   Buds  and leaves form off these branches.  And like a growing plant,  stories  don't happen overnight.  Sure their may be wild times of growth and development, but stories take time to reach maturity.  So be patient, and realize that if you get super stumped it's perfectly fine to set that  story in development  aside.  I remember when writing The Commune.  I had this initial idea of UFOs doing battle with the military in an Old Western ghost town -- but that's all I had!  It took me YEARS to flesh that out into the final form of that  dark sci-fi , that I now not only enjoy -- but have  two more completed screenplays  in continuation off it!

 Rome  wasn't built in a day, nor is a  completed screenplay .  So slow down and enjoy the ride. 

 

Age 54 Birthday Wishes

Time stops for no man.  Now at age 54 that rings more true for me than ever before.  But strangely I don't fear old age.  Heck I've already lived much, much longer than I ever thought I would to the praise of the Lord!

My birthday last Saturday, on June 10th went off with little fanfare.  I did a 10 hour shift at work.  Later my brother took me out for a steak dinner.  The next day my mom took me to Red Lobster.

Still single with it looking more and more like I'll be that way for the rest of my life.  NO, I don't wanna be single.  I just can't meet women I'd like to date and I'm heterosexual as FUCK!!  Okay, maybe I should dial it back a scootch.  

I titled this post "birthday wishes", as always just about all my birthday "wishes" are writing/getting discovered oriented.  

E.C. Henry's birthday wishes at age 54:

1. Growing closer to the Lord.  I need to become a "prayer warrior" and be someone down here on Earth who takes his role as a priest seriously and prays for things: people, countries, and salvations!
2. Finish my Legend in Thars epic fantasy series.  If the Lord tarries, and I'm given time to do so, I really want to finish all five novels and the script adaptations.  I'll probably have to self-publish the novels, though.  :(
3. Get my energy back.  I'm thinking of doing a colon cleanse, and doing testosterone boosting pills.  I feel too sluggish these days.  Welcome to your mid-50s!  Well, I plan on fighting as hard as I can; and TRY to lead the most active life I'm capable of.  
4. Get a girlfriend.  I actually prayed and asked the Lord for this recently.  We'll see.  So far in NE Tennessee I haven't many suitable women to pursue.  :(  Hopefully, the Lord will bring someone suitable my way soon.  Hey, He did it for Isaac in the Old Testament...

Wouldn't mind meeting her on the beach, Lord!

Those are the big four on my wish list.  I've written enough scripts. The Lord has been good to me, I'm happy with my creative output in that regard.  I suppose I'll always be writing something.  But I've soured quite a bit on the Entertainment Industry.  Lately it feels like movies are going the wrong way, getting more boring and worse instead of advancing the medium.  Some of the technology in movie-making is getting better, but the overall releases aren't as good as they used to be, imo.  

Not a big post, today.  I just didn't want to get too far away from my birthday before I made a post on it, and where my head is at these days.

 

Talk to ya again soon,

Famous Last Words; John Chapter 17

For the past week I've been rereading and reciting all of John Chapter 17 as part of prayer and devotion life.  Truth be told, I've never really "parked" on a passage of scripture and meditated on it.  But as a professing, born-again Christian I TREASURE every word that the Savior ever spoke. 

The word's of God's Son mean a lot to me, as I view Jesus of Nazareth as the supreme example that God gave us to emulate.  Whether you're a baker, a banker, a convicted criminal, or a Hollywood celebrity, Jesus of Nazareth IS the standard for us all.  The cornerstone on which we begin to build our lives.  Jesus didn't come to Earth and die on a cross because He had nothing better to do.  He came for a specific purpose: to fulfill the will of His Father and make a  new way to redeem  mankind from sin.

John chapter 17 is block of dialog text, where Jesus offers up one last prayer to the Holy Father before His appointed time of suffering was to commence. 

During last Tuesday night's bible study our group was going over this passage of scripture.  My mom sited the word synopsis.  I thought was kinda odd, but she said that truthfully and of her own volition, then went on to state that the first part of John 17 is about Jesus' intimate relationship to the Holy Father: 1-5, then in 6-19 it's Jesus's relationship to His disciples, then from 20-26 it's about the relationship of those who believe through Jesus' disciples's word.

To me the theme of John Chapter 17 was:

Jesus's heart revealed in the prayer he prayed for His disciples before His suffering was to begin.  Jesus came to restore man's relationship to God.

So how'd I do?  My big "a-ha" in this precious passage of scripture was at the end in John 17:26

""And I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.""

My takeaway from this being: Making the Holy Father known shows that the love of God is in us.  Which is so important to know, that you can be a vessel of God's love.

To me John Chapter 17 is about unity of the faith, first knowing God and making your peace with Him, then sharing that peace and experiencing  God given glory .

I'm not a very evangelic person.  It's just not a hallmark of my personality.  I like to craft stories and hopefully entertain people.  But I'm also a Christian who is made to know God and reflect His glory in some capacity.  

No matter how I live my life, however, I am accountable to God's word.  The joy of John chapter 17 is getting to know Jesus's heart in a deeper way.  This is 26 verses of some of Jesus's last words during His life that where He was allowed to speak freely and say whatever He wanted to say.  And what did He choose to leave behind for us to consider: the call to know God, be part of His glory, and be in union with God.  That's some heady stuff.  So read it yourself and see if I'm handling scripture accurately. 

For me the key word in this passage is "Father", I chose that word because that's the object of Jesus prayer.  Who you pray to matters.  Jesus directed His prayers to His Father, and throughout His life, Jesus was known to go away, be by Himself and pray to His Father.  Lotta pushes and pulls on Jesus's life, some people wanted to make Him king, others were looking to get fed, still other were in desperate need of healing.  

You can't study the life of Jesus enough.  He is  "the door" ; the only true way to Heaven.  The Giver of eternal life.  Hopefully my heart will always be pliable to the Lord.  I think one of the biggest needs in my spiritual life is to acknowledge verbally who and what He means to me.

Lately, God has been "the finder of lost things" in my life.  A couple weeks ago I lost my cross and chain.  The place I work at doesn't allow jewelry so everyday I return home from work I have to put my cross back on.  Well one day I can home and found both cross and chain were missing.  I immediately drove back to work with my mom and we looked for in the parking lot.  No dice.  It was nowhere to be found.  Several days later my sister-in-law found the chain in the pantry.  A couple days after that, my brother found my cross on our driveway.  I think the Lord let me re-find my cross and used these two people to return it to me.  He is the finder of lost things.  

Study scripture and you'll find that God had personal, intimate contact with a lot of different people, and met them in times of dire need.  

We are all called to give  God glory  .  I praise Him for the stories He's allowed me to pen.  Years ago when I was writing Cowboy Alien Diaries, I thought I was going to die.  I went out into the woods and called out to God asking Him for an extension of life so I could finish that supernatural western thriller.  And God was gracious and gave me that extension of time to not only finish that but 25 more stories.  

When will the adventure end?  God only knows but with the spread of transgender ideology you gotta wonder when God will say enough is enough and pull the plug on it all.  No, I don't have a definitive answer when the church will be raptured and the horrific onslaught of God's judgement on the Earth will begin, but we're in a time and place were gender reassignment is happening on a publically accepted, mass level, and Satanists clothing is being sold in stores to INFANTS.  At some point God is going to say enough is enough and punish those who corrupted the innocent with the doctrine of demons.  And I think this in line with God's judgment of Egypt when when was causing the nation of Israel to be born.    

Anyway, I love the Lord; and choose to be with Him.  Internalizing John chapter 17 is a joy for to bond on a deeper level with Jesus is something I want to do.  

 To God be the glory! 

Expect Another Covid Movie Offering Season in 2023

Brightest face in the summer movie season of 2023?  That's easy, Margot Robbie as Barbie.

I was going over the movie releases due out for the summer of 2023.  Since the summer looked SO BAD I went all the way through the rest of the year too.  Wow, do things ever look bleak!  Just about every movie looks uninspired.  Guess you have to blame those greenlighting these UNINSPIRED offerings.  Maybe current culture trends contribute as well, as some movies seem more interested in making political statements then being percieved as being good movies.  

Best movie I've seen or heard about is surprisingly from Jennifer Lawrence!  Never was much of a fan hers but this --

Besides No Hard Feelings, which is due out an the end of June, the only other movie that jumped off the page to strike me as a movie that I want to see is Napoleon (directed by Ridley Scott, staring Joaquin Phoenix) which is set to release at the end of Novemeber.  

Here's a list of some other movies coming in 2023, and my brief thoughts about them:

1. Oppenheimer: Directed by Christopher Nolan, about the guy who helped make the atomic bomb.  I have ZERO interest in this historical story, though Christopher Nolan's movies have delivered in the past.  The Dark Knight was really good.  This movie, however, looks like a bore fest..
2. Spiderman Across the Spiderverse.  A cartoon movie about some black teen whose not Peter Parker being Spiderman just doesn't interest me.  Not a fan of cartoon movies that aren't comedies.  Back when I was a kid, I loved Starblazers and Spiderman; but both were episodic TV series.  
3. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.  Harrison Ford is just old to be headlining this style of movie anymore.  Gosh did he ever sound AWFUL at the 2023 Oscars.  First two Indiana Jones movies in the 1980s were GREAT.  Last two movies felt uninspired.  My "good will" for this series has ended.  Continuing this series holds no interest for me anymore.
4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3.  The guy who played Toula's father is now dead.  This is a great one-off idea that was at one point a TV spin-off series.  Did see #2, thought it was so-so.  Have zero interest in seeing the 3rd installment.  Guess Nia Vadalos can't getting anything else made.  Sad to see her reduced to milking this idea to its bitter end.
5. Killers of the Flower Moon.  Hey a movie staring Leonardo Dicaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese!  Sounds like a can't lose right?  Well, read a little more into it and find its about people cheating the native Americans in 1920s in Oklahoma, and my interest ebbs significantly.  
6. Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.  This some kind of Hunger Games prequel.  Good grief, end it already!  That series had a great start, then got worse and worse with each following movie release.  Like Indiana Jones, this series needed to end a long time ago.
7. Mission Impossible: Dead Reakoning; Part I: No chance I'll go see this movie.  Good grief how long will they make these spy movies?  Huge fan of Tom Cruise, but he needs to do what he used to do, and star in the most exciting movie ideas out there.

There are a couple movies that sound sorta interesting: The Barbie Movie staring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and Voyage of the Detmer, where apparently Dracula wakes up at night to ravage those on a ship he's on.  But by and large the released movie slate for 2023 looks grim and uninspired. 

What will happen when  Dracula  wakes up hungry on a cargo ship?

Will the movie industry ever bounce back? 

Well, I guess we have no choice but to wait until 2024/2025 to find out.  Right now I THINK we're still feeling the pinch of Covid, where so much of American industry was shut down.  It takes a while for industry to jump back from set-backs like that.  This is especially true of industries like Hollywood where new products (ie. movie) take time to get from idea, to the buyers, to scripts, to production considerations, to greenlight, to financing, to actually filming the thing.  What I'm getting at is that Hollywood may be the last industry to actually get out of Covid. 

The sad part is all they seam to want to make these days are superhero movies.  Superhero movies DOMINATE the movie landscape these days.  Not sure what the future holds, but at some point you'd think things would open up some for new creatives to emerge and launch a new era of movie-making.  But maybe we're now in world where Hollywood is doomed to failure.  Where there decision makers are purposely going to ride the industry into the ground.  The more I watch what's going on the more plausible these rationale seems.  So much GARBAGE is being produced.  It's sad, from my way of thinking.

An America without the movie-making industry is looking more and more like a definite possibility.  Several different factors to consider, but where is the HOPE for change?  I've been looking for it for three years, but all I've seen is a dedication to doing the same ol' same ol'  We need something to get us fired up about the movies again, and I'd be lying if I said I see that person being promoted.  Right now all seems hopeless, like Hollywood is doomed to fail of its own choosing.   

... And don't forget The Meg 2 is coming out, makes you wax nostalgic for days of Jaws, which is the definitive BEST shark movie of all-time