It’s easy to forget that “Guardians of the Galaxy” was the first big question mark for Marvel. After having great success with its earthbound heroes, the studio took its first big leap into the cosmic realm, anchoring it to a group of misfits that included a Walkman-wearing Earthling, a green-skinned assassin, a tattooed warrior, a badass raccoon and a sentient tree named Groot. It was easy to see this as a possible bridge too far for mainstream audiences, especially since the... Read more
Constant readers have probably noticed that the writing here has been a bit slower in the past month. It’s been two weeks since my last post, and a look at my Letterboxd account this weekend revealed I only saw two movies in the month of April. There’s a reason for that: I’ve been in the final weeks of my grad school semester, crunching on a paper that took up pretty much all of my free time. We’ve been short-staffed at... Read more
Writing about the relationship between faith and science for the blog series on National Geographic’s “The Story of God” was one of my highlights from last year. I was honored to be asked to participate in the blog carnival, but I also had no idea how the project would also send me on my own faith journey. Discussing my views on the origins of the universe caused me to address questions I’d been wrestling with for years. I knew that the... Read more
The final 45 minutes of “The Fate of the Furious” are some of the most gleefully ridiculous in the 16-year franchise. There are cars on ice, a Russian submarine and The Rock redirecting a torpedo with his bare hands. Miles above, another character gets in a blistering fight on plane, a gun in one hand and a baby in the other. Director F. Gary Gray delivers pure insanity, which is what the Fast and Furious movies do best. It’s a welcome boost... Read more
HBO’s new series “Crashing” finished its first season on Sunday. As with many of the network’s other comedies, I highly enjoyed it. The combination of star/creator Pete Holmes and executive producer Judd Apatow made this look into the stressful world of stand-up comedy heartfelt, awkward and funny, often in the same beat. But it’s the show’s spiritual side that made it resonate. “Crashing” follows Holmes (playing a slightly fictionalized version of himself) as he tries to make a break in... Read more
We’re about to enter the most important week of the Christian faith. As we commemorate Palm Sunday this weekend, our attention will then turn from the Triumphal Entry to the road to Gethsemane in preparation for Good Friday and Easter. And as such, I find it might be an interesting time to revisit films about Jesus. Over the years, I’ve come to love movies about Jesus. Cinema gives us the great opportunity to view this beloved story from different angles... Read more
Hey everyone, Been a bit of a crazy week here in terms of posting. Wrapping up an assignment for school, work has been busy and last weekend was filled with a few different activities that didn’t leave much time for blogging. There’s some fun stuff ahead this weekend and into next week, so I appreciate your patience while everything settles down. But one thing I’m not promoting as well as I should here is “It’s My Favorite,” the twice-monthly... Read more
The 1996 cult classic “Trainspotting” was released 12 years prior to director Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” and three years before star Ewan McGregor became a Jedi. Based on Irvine Welsh’s acclaimed novel, its scuzzy, rough-around-the-edges aesthetic fit its energetic, seat-of-your-pants vibe. It holds up as a surreal, vibrant, sometimes horrifying look at youth, friendship and drug culture in 1990s Edinburgh. Trading raucous energy for a creak in the bones and reckless optimism for an ache in the soul, Boyle and his cast are back... Read more
So, my piece a few weeks back on the outrage over Disney’s choice to include an “explicitly gay” moment in its remake of “Beauty and the Beast” caused quite a stir. As of this writing, there are 195 comments and it’s one of my most-read pieces here at Patheos. I’m thankful to everyone who shared, read and commented. The film is out now (you can read my review here), and the controversy doesn’t seem to have hurt its performance at the box... Read more
Disney’s recent trend of remaking its animated classics has been successful because of the studio’s ability to find new angles on beloved tales. “Cinderella” added a dose of compassion and was anchored by a fantastic performance by Lily James. “Jungle Book” found new notes of menace and adventure. “Pete’s Dragon” brought soul to a silly, slapdash story. This approach has allowed these live-action remakes to stand proudly alongside, and sometimes above, their animated predecessors. But what do you do when... Read more
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