Films are one of my biggest pursuits, and I could talk movies all night long. I think film is the ultimate vehicle for the communication of meaning because films present the entirety of life/Music - I play piano and tin whistle/Did I say the music of Michael Mc Dermott Active, outdoor; love running, swimming, skiing & oceanic activities/Guinness - the black stuff, lol! I like to keep my native language alive and I write, speak and teach a bit of Irish.
People who are equally proud of their own country as I am of mine and have good stories to share/Antiheros - people who do most of the work yet take none of the credit/People who seek adventure/People who love movies and love to talk about them, endlessly/Anyone who wants to meet me/Musicians, especially anyone coming to Ireland; if I get to know you and I can help with promoting you I will /Jim Caviezel
MICHAEL MC DERMOTT: the greatest singer/songwriter in the world in my book...He pens songs of startling power and honesty. "One of the greatest singer-songwriters in the world" - Stephen King. In 2005 I discovered the music of Michael Mc Dermott and it virtually blew me off the face of the earth. I admire this guy so much because his songs are searingly honest and cut right to the heart of life's issues: love, loss, fear, pain redemption...Michael McDermott takes the cross of the world's troubles on his shoulders and carries it along the Via Dolorosa of his life...Give his music a chance and it will change your life as it has changed mine - that I guarantee you...We meet not only Michael McDermott in his songs but ourselves too and he distills the essence of our challenges and forges a brave path forward... URBAN HERMITS: Donegal's own, have made a real splash recently getting the slot on TG4 and a prestigious gig in The Cavern Club, Liverpool, rightful home of The Beatles...These guys sing salty true-to-life songs that exude real humanity and are devoid of any air of pretension. In other words Urban Hermits are the real deal. DARREN BYRNE: A trippy bodhran-wielding Irish folk singer much travelled, a troubador if ever there was one FILM MUSIC: The scores of Thomas Newman, John Debney, James Horner, Nino Rota, Bernard Herrmann
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (my favourite film of all time) Abre Los Ojos, A.I., Almost Famous, American Beauty, American Psycho, Apocalypto, Braveheart, Carlito's Way, Carrie, Castaway, City of Angels, Coogan's Bluff, Dirty Harry, Duel, Fearless, Forrest Gump, Gangs of New York, Glengarry Glen Ross, Goodfellas, High Plains Drifter, Into The Wild, Magnum Force, Mighty Aphrodite, Million Dollar Baby, Misery, Mystic River, No Man's Land, North by Northwest, Once Upon a Time in America, Primary Colors, Raging Bull, Road to Perdition, Rounders, Russian Ark, Salem's Lot, Saving Private Ryan, Sleepy Hollow, Stand By Me, Taxi Driver, The Crow, The Dead Zone, The Fog, The Game, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, The Birds, The Majestic, The Others, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Parallax View, The Pledge, The Shining, The Sixth Sense, 25th Hour, Unforgiven, Vanilla Sky, White Hunter Black Heart, Wild at HeartFAVOURITE ACTORS: Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, Jeff Bridges, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Harris
TV has never been the same since The X-Files and Renegade went off but Irish channel TG4 has some fantastic stuff
'The power of The Passion of The Christ' by myself(based on Mel Gibson's film starring Jim Caviezel) REVIEW QUOTES on 'The power of The Passion of The Christ' "Martin McCool has written a book that is every bit as powerful as the film" - Paddy Daly, Donegal Democrat "I found myself totally engrossed by McCool's deeply heartfelt ruminations...McCool's total lack of cynicism coupled with his dogged determination to nail every aspect of the film impressed me greatly and kept me gripped throughout the book's 180 pages" - Jimmy Lacey, County Wexford Press "A truly remarkable book from the perspectives of content, comment and thrust. Much more than an objective clinical commentary. His personal engagement in sharing with readers his own convictions and faith-witness is inspiring" - Dr. Seamus Hegarty, Bishop of Derry “Pope John Paul II called for a new evangelization - a new and indeed renewed effort in spreading the Gospel, particularly to remind people what God has done for us. I see Mel Gibson's film as part of this 'new evangelization', and indeed Martin Mc Cool's book – ‘The power of the Passion of The Christ’ is very much part of this as well. Like Mel Gibson, who funded the film with his own money, Martin McCool went out on a limb to write the book and took over a year off work to do it. Mother Angelica, who began EWTN with just $200 just over 25 years ago, once said: 'God can't do the impossible if we're not prepared to do the ridiculous' and I think it’s true of this book. Martin McCool's book is more than an intellectual work but has a deep faith dimension, which helped me in understanding more of what Gibson's film was conveying. The book like the film needs to be looked at more than once - something new will always come to the fore. Simply Martin's book is like a 'key' to the power of the film.†– Fr. Rory Brady “Martin McCool’s book is a thoughtful analysis of Mel Gibson’s film. It will be of great assistance to all who wish to engage seriously with the issues raised by that film.†– Fr. Martin Hogan, Head of Scripture, Mater Dei Institute of Education "Martin McCool's amazing book gave me much pause for thought and reflection...He has written a truly beautiful devotional piece and done something few could manage - written an emotionally and spiritually honest book. 'The power of The Passion of The Christ' is a work utterly devod of cynicism in a darkly cynical age. It should be read by anyone with an interest in religion, in film or in postmodern culture" - Shane Dunphy, bestselling author of 'Wednesday's Child' and 'Last Ditch House' "A book remarkable for its sincerity and depth of compassion. A minute study of Mel Gibson's overwhelming classic...An admirable and readable study of the film" Nicholas Furlong, Wexford Echo “In reading ‘The power of The Passion of The Christ’ one encounters an author of consummate skill and, of course, one has a unique encounter with the subject of the book Himself. The incredible patience of Mc Cool in pursuing every incident, every nuance of the filming of the world’s most outstanding historical figure, and the organising and assembling of his findings in most readable English, bespeaks genius†- Michael P. Nolan, Serra International “I must say it's absolutely stunning. All that I felt from ‘day one’ is in this book - you have captured the magic of this film in a way I never thought was possible†- Bitte Assarmo, Film Reviewer, Sweden “I got absorbed in reading the book and couldn't tear myself away from it. An outstanding, scholarly, in-depth look at one of the most important movies ever made†- Rebecca Bryles, U.S.A. Webpage for 'The power of The Passion of The Christ' here: http://www.choicepublishing.ie/index_files/martinmccool.htm
My Dad (R.I.P.), Jesus, Jim Caviezel,