NOTE: Background music contains explicit language.

What to do between now and the impending doom? What to do between now and December 21, 2012?

Watch some frickin-sweet movies, that’s what. Hey, if the world is going to end, I can’t go to my grave (or face the post-apocalyptic future of zombies and unbearable survival situations) without knowing how the Christopher Nolan Batman franchise wraps up, without learning how to fend off a pack of wolves like Liam Neeson, without watching 90 minutes of Will Ferrell speaking Spanish (“I’m impressed!”), and without seeing Middle Earth one last time.

Here are the must-see movies for the last year of your miserable, pathetic life. Stand in line, watch, and be merry, for on December 21, we die.

The Grey (January 27)

Is Liam Neeson approaching Chuck Norris territory? I think he’s getting pretty darn close. The difference is that Neeson’s rise to mythic/ironic action hero status is happening while he’s still making movies. Chuck Norris didn’t become mythic/ironic Chuck Norris until well after his movie and TV-show days had ended. I don’t know if this is a good development for Neeson’s career (or what it says about his choice in movies), but it’s better than being Jason Statham.

Anyway, sign me up for any film where I can watch Liam Neeson fight wolves with broken airplane liquor bottles taped to his fingers. I’ll admit that after watching the trailer, I’m pretty sure I already know what’s going to happen in this movie. This isn’t theater, by any means. It’s (hopefully) a well-done, not too predictable adrenaline rush. And more importantly, The Grey appears to be an excellent case study to surviving life on this planet after 12/21/12. Limited supplies, harsh environment, and if you substitute zombies/Mayan demi-gods for wolves, it’s a perfect fit.

Did I mention that Liam Neeson is fighting wolves?

Act of Valor (February 24)

It’d be easy to call this the Saving Private Ryan of our cinematic generation. And while that gets close to what (I hope) this film accomplishes on an emotional, teleological and visual level, Act of Valor – no matter how awesome – will be unable to go above and beyond Private Ryan.

You simply can’t eclipse Private Ryan. Not because of the acting, the story, the visual effects, the utter, devastating portrayal of wartime relationships, even though those parts definitely do contribute mightily to the sum of Ryan. The answer here has to do with the historical context. There’s nothing bigger than World War II. The magnitude of Ryan comes from the magnitude of the war in which it depicts. It made the “war to end all wars” look like the TV station gang fight in Anchorman. This is “greatest generation” material, this is the war of our fathers, the war that historians keep writing books about because it just can’t go away.

This is what Act of Valor is up against: Historical context. Black-ops with the objective of rescuing a kidnapped CIA operative is compelling, has a strong post-9/11 undercurrent to it (plus real Navy SEALS are playing the characters in the movie). But that’s not exactly Beaches of Normandy. It’s a safe bet that every war movie since September 11, 2001, implicitly reaches back in some form or fashion to our generation’s Pearl Harbor as the pin to the films’ emotional grenade. Act of Valor does the same thing. There’s talk of a jihadist cell in the trailer. The impetus to the War on Terror is a defining mark on history, to be completely sure, but it does not quite reach – from our current vantage point, anyway – the scope and devastation of WWII. And any war movie that begins (no matter how subtly) with post-9/11 sentiment and background, and that sets out to match or exceed Ryan in the realism, tension and context of the battlefield will always seem smaller in grandeur/horror because the playing field is so much smaller. Literally and figuratively.

But Act of Valor has the potential to mean the same thing that Ryan meant. Does it look like “Modern Warfare 3” on the big screen, without all the stupid knifing? Yeah. Sure does. And that’s why it could have such an impact on a young-ish audience that has spent way too much time over the last 10 years pretending to be at war instead of actually being drafted into war, unlike their grand- and great-grandfathers. Act of Valor is a post-modern telling of war.

“Kids today” don’t get World War II – so big, grandiose and black-and-white. No red-dot sights. WWII was the last modern war. But if you can show the virtues, conflicts and hardships of war – the best and worst of what we as humans have to offer – in a post-modern, post-9/11 context, and do it in a way that honors those making the sacrifice (I’m looking at you scornfully, Green Zone and Jarheads), then Act of Valor can mean as much, if not more, as Ryan did for all those veterans who sobbed their way through the story of their war.

Casa de mi Padre (March 16)

 Cormac McCarthy meets Anchorman. Two awesome combinations. A lot to be hopeful for here. Please, just don’t be Semi-Pro or Land of the Lost. Going into the end of the world with the sour taste of another Will Ferrell dud would be very depressing. Ferrell is probably the most dynamic on-screen comedian since Jim Carey, and most people stopped caring about him after Dumb and Dumber, because it was dud after dud after dud. Casa de mi Padre has all of the positive signs of dudlessness one could hope for.

Which has me slightly worried that it could be “too big to fail.” Sure, watching a two-minute trailer of Ferrell speaking Spanish with English subtitles is massively hilarious, but what about 90 minutes? Is that too much of a good thing, like the movie version of the “SNL” Ladies Man skit?

Look, the end of the world is going to be bleak and un-funny enough. It will literally be a laugh or die scenario. In my darkest hour, sharing a fall-out bunker with total strangers as we wait for the final bell to toll, it’d be really nice if, in that moment, I can reflect on Casa de mi Padre, laugh a deep, generous belly laugh, and feel better about my present sufferings.

No pressure, Armando.

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20)

This trailer alone is better than most full-length films.

What is there to say? The Dark Knight launched itself into the top five of my all-time favorite movies. I know there will be some nugget of emotional and/or Gospel-truth moment in Rises that will carry me through my darkest days post 12/21/12. On a less bad-joke/worn-out-theme level, this trilogy has impacted my life more than any other, with the exception of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings.

Speaking of which…

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (December 14)

For three beautiful years in a row – 2001 thru 2003 – and right at Christmastime, we took a journey to Middle Earth. Jackson’s film adaptation of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings became the defining films of my high school years, as well as a new Christmas tradition. Every Christmas since The Return of the King, which came out in December of my senior year, I’ve watched at least one of the three films with my brothers and/or my wife. To me, nothing says Christmas like a LOTR marathon followed by quiet personal reflections with Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music playing softly in the background, and the tree providing the only light in the room.

So it is with immense joy that I’ll be returning to Middle Earth this Christmas. And at time when I – and the rest of us – will need it the most. It is no coincidence that the first installment of The Hobbit comes out only a week before the Mayans predicted the end of all things. There’s nothing like Tolkien’s powerful and timeless tales to prepare you for the long, apocalyptic dark. So it is also with immense sorrow that we won’t get to see the second installment (December 2013). Pray that the Mayans were off a year.

As far as The Hobbit itself goes, it looks as though Jackson has at the very least matched his previous efforts. I’m interested to see how much additional back/side story he fills in from the rest of Tolkien’s cosmology. The dwarves look fantastic, and all the old cast-and-crew are back. I can’t wait for “Riddles in the Dark,” and glad that they’re including Beorn. I wonder if the scorn Jackson received for ditching Tom Bombadil from The Fellowship impacted Beorn’s inclusion. And as an added bonus – unless you’re one of those impossible purists – Evangeline Lilly (Kate!) plays an Elf from Mirkwood.

The Hobbit is a beautiful, moving story. More succinct and more accessible than LOTR, I believe. We’ll need every bit of its morals and themes in the days after it opens. Like Frodo in The Fellowship, we may wonder why such awful things will befall us. And as Gandalf would most likely respond, it is of no use to ask why, but to “use such strength and heart and wits as you have.”

Honorable Mentions

Moonrise Kingdom

Detachment

Coriolanus

–Trevor Sides

Helping to spark the retail success is the Billboard AC Indicator No. 6 and climbing hit single “We Are” that has been viewed over 560,000 times at www.youtube.com/watch?v=B07iK9uh9qY. Tens of thousands more have experienced Jobe singing “We Are” and other new favorites live in concert during the record-breaking Winter Jam 2012 Tour, whose first 14 concerts saw over 165,000 tickets sold. Jobe, a two-time Dove Award winning, Gateway Church (Southlake, TX) worship leader, continues on the 47-city Winter Jam tour through April 1.

Produced by Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Chris August), who also produced Jobe’s breakout self-titled debut, and acclaimed producer Matt Bronleewe (Natalie Imbruglia, Josh Wilson), Where I Find You is an engaging project that stretches Jobe both sonically and thematically. With a RELEVANT Podcast feature slated for March, Jobe’s music and message continues to gather significant applause:

“Where I Find You raises the bar, expanding her worship sensibility and solo pop sweetness by enlisting major hooks to showcase radio-ready co-writes (with the likes of Matt Maher, Lincoln Brewster and Hillsong’s Mia Fieldes)…Jobe’s sensitive evocations make apparent her genuine worship music background.” – ChristianityToday.com

“Jobe continues to refine her sound…impassioned and accessible, as well as being expertly written and performed…her ability to create an atmosphere of spiritual searching within these songs lands her at the top of the heap, making Where I Find You an all-around winner.” – Crosswalk.com

“With an incredibly gorgeous and unique tone to her voice, but a passion behind it that can raise the church rafters, Jobe finely straddles the line of pop and worship with the abilities of someone who’s been in the game much longer than just two albums… Jobe’s delivery constantly shifts between full reverent worship and catchy pop hooks with ease, but it never sounds a stretch or at all offbeat.” – HollywoodJesus.com

“With strong, powerful vocals, cutting yet thought provoking lyrics and amazing production that takes her songs to a big, powerful arena level of great rock/praise music…. this is one ‘super-chick’ you’re not going to want to miss hearing more of.” – CreatorLeadershipNetwork.com

“This album is something special. Lyrically profound and sonically inspiring.” – AllAboutWorship.com

One of the most respected female worship leaders in the country, Jobe’s self-titled debut album released in 2009 and went on to sell well over 250,000 copies, leading to a New Artist of The Year Dove Award nomination. Taking home two Doves from the ceremony, she later joined the roster of Sparrow Records, a division of EMI CMG Label Group, which is distributing her first album on the label, Where I Find You, into worldwide markets. Having studied at Oral Roberts University, Christ For The Nations and Dallas Baptist University, where she finished her psychology and Pastoral Ministries degree, Jobe also partners with the A21 Campaign, an organization dedicated to abolishing human trafficking.

For more information on Kari Jobe, visit www.karijobe.com, www.twitter.com/karijobe and www.facebook.com/karijobe.

Produced by Jason Ingram (Chris Tomlin, Tenth Avenue North, Sanctus Real), Nothing Left to Fear follows Cherry as he grapples with the complexities of genuine faith. To Cherry, there’s strength — and closeness to God — in admitting that you don’t have it all figured out. Nothing Left to Fear is his invitation to question, learn, grow and worship together with him.

“God’s got really broad shoulders, and He can handle your honesty and confusion – even your anger,” says Cherry. “In my writing and playing, I hope to point people to a broader view of God; to encourage them to dialogue in honesty, like David did.”

Among those songs from Cherry’s debut is kick-off radio single “Our God’s Alive,” a celebration of God’s presence and power working in our everyday lives. The song, released to both the Christian AC and CHR radio formats, has amassed more than 7.8 million cumulative impressions to date. The song has been added by such powerhouses as K-LOVE and AIR-1 radio networks.

Cherry will debut this song and others from Nothing Left to Fear live on tour with singer-songwriter Jimmy Needham beginning next month. Having wrapped a successful run on Matt Maher’s “The Love In Between Tour” last fall, Cherry will now join Needham’s “Grace Amazing Tour” for 15+ dates through late March. Visit www.jimmyneedham.com for an up-to-date tour itinerary. In addition, Cherry will showcase his new music on a separate run of more than 20 one-off dates, including engagements opening for artists like Tenth Avenue North this spring. Check www.andycherry.com to find Andy in a city near you.

Dunn spent the last few months recording at Profile Studios in Vancouver, B.C., with RIAA Gold-accredited record producer Steve Kravac (Blink 182, MxPx, Less Than Jake). Tentatively titled Abandon Progress, information about the album’s release date and label and distribution plans are forthcoming.

Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Hawk Nelson signed to Tooth and Nail Records in 2004, and to date have recorded 5 full-length albums selling in excess of 600,000 units. A compilation album, The Songs You’ve Already Heard: Best of Hawk Nelson, is scheduled for release on March 27, 2012.

“I will miss playing music on stage with my friends, but really looking forward to the future with Lights Go Down,” says Dunn. “I wish Hawk Nelson the very best with their future endeavors.”

For more information, follow Lights Go Down on Facebook and Twitter.