Movies

Al Mihrab

The good news is - according to Man of Steel - we're not alone in the universe. The bad news? All the aliens are crazy white guys. 

Geek Goes Rogue

The years of 1977 and 1978 changed my life. The two greatest movies of my childhood came out; Star Wars and Superman. These spectacles made me want to tell stories for a living. There are more than enough Gen X’er nostalgic pieces about Star Wars. However, I’ve seen very few about Superman. While this meant [...]

Tinsel

Is 'Man of Steel' a Blue State movie or Red State movie? 

Schaeffer's Ghost

The line between magic and science in Hollywood films has begun to fade. 

Geek Goes Rogue

The Movie Channel is glad to have comic, movie, and gaming geeks onboard. Geek Proud!

Tinsel

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson deliver an extended pep talk to the youngsters.

Looking Closer

Well, it could be that zombie movies have finally eaten my brain, but I think this movie has an honest-to-goodness heartbeat.

FilmChat

Russell Crowe says the protagonist he plays in next year's Bible epic is "not benevolent." One critic who has seen the screenplay says the character might even be "psycho."

Church of the Masses

(My business partner at Catharsis, Vicki Peterson, and I, are working on a book of salient points about visual storytelling. I spent most of today writing about character. Here’s a tease for the upcoming sure to be classic, “Little Gems”…) One of the most frequent notes that gets bandied about in Hollywood about a bad [...]

Sister Rose Movies

A thousand year’s after human activity has destroyed the earth,  humans  have made a home for themselves on Nova Prime, a planet outside our solar system.  Kitai (Jaden Smith) is in training to be a member of the Ranger Corps like his father, General Cypher Raige (real life dad Will Smith).  Kitai, who bucks authority, [...]

Schaeffer's Ghost

Magicians use their trade in heists. Starring Jessie Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Mark Ruffalo, and Woodly Harrelson. Should you watch?

FilmChat

The movie that kicked off the "1950s Bible epic" genre actually came out in 1949 -- and it has finally been released on DVD. Here are some thoughts on the film and how it tweaks the original Bible story.

Looking Closer

Today's Entertainment Weekly story about The Hobbit's new character played by Evangeline Lily has dealt a heavy blow to my hopes that this series will improve.

Looking Closer

What film prize means more to filmmakers around the world than an Oscar? Somebody won it today. And most American moviegoers — munching popcorn and slurping corn syrup as they watch disposable, factory-made films — won't even notice that it happened.

Doc Hollywood

Searching for a movie full of heart and soul?   Mud is a scrappy bit of Americana, hewn from the banks of the Mississippi River.   Filmmaker Jeff Nichols taps into his Arkansas roots to craft an instant classic, like Tom Sawyer, circa 2013.  

Tinsel

So much fun you don't even care it's utterly ridiculous.

Schaeffer's Ghost

Not Deserving.

FilmChat

Ridley Scott's life-of-Moses epic Exodus may be coming to theatres in December 2014 -- just nine months after Darren Aronofsky's Noah.

Christ and Pop Culture

"But that scene with Pam and Jim reminded me of something more, too, of something that holds my marriage together in spite of my shortcomings."

FilmChat

Some spoiler-filled thoughts on the new Star Trek movie's mix of intriguing new ideas and recycled plot elements, plus: principles of non-interference, political subtexts, adolescent sensibilities, increased profanity and more.

Christ and Pop Culture

"Without beauty, our souls would be as malnourished as our bodies would be apart from food."

Schaeffer's Ghost

Should you go? Even if you're not a Trekkie?

FilmChat

Here are links to all the reviews, and some of the more substantial blog posts, that I have written about the first eleven Star Trek movies over the past two decades.

FilmChat

Jerry Goldsmith wrote the music for five of the first ten Star Trek movies -- and the Klingon theme, which he originally conceived as "bad guy" music, came to have other meanings over the years.

Christ and Pop Culture

On Sunday, ABC aired the second-season finale of its popular series Once upon a Time, with a third season confirmed for Fall 2013.  Capitalizing on the recent vogue for updated fairy tale treatments, Once upon a Time is set in the quaint town of Storybrooke, Maine, a town with a curious secret: it is populated [...]

Tinsel

The movie helped me understand the book. And that's saying something.

As a Muslim, I always thought of the "Jedi" as what a true follower of Islam should be like. 

by Irfan Rydhan

Schaeffer's Ghost

The newest release by acclaimed director Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo, Chop Shop), strikes at the heart of our enterprise system and reveals the broken souls drifting along this cycle of greed.

Geek Goes Rogue

I’m writing this from New Orleans, the land of dreams and nightmares. I’m going to be posting about my time here later in the week. In the meantime, allow me to introduce you to an amazing artist and writer, Katherine Wirick. A few weeks ago, I attended S.P.A.C.E. con, an Indie Comic-Con convention. Katherine’s work [...]