Pop Theology

Having been involved with a new documentary, Renewal, about the religious environmental movement, I am more aware of how environmentalism is represented or addressed in popular culture.  From the moment I first saw the trailer for the new Pixar miracle, WALL-E, I was intrigued by its dark, enviromental implications.  When the voice over mentioend that humans had left earth and a garbage compacting robot was left behind to clean it up, questions abounded.  What happened?  What did we do or not do? … [Read more...]

I've got a back-log of posts that I need to write up and/or finish.  First and foremost, I've been meaning to talk about a really good film that I unfortunately missed in theaters but caught on DVD.  Reservation Road features Mark Ruffalo (who can really do no cinematic wrong) and Joaquin Phoenix (take him or leave him) as two fathers whose lives become increasingly tangled after a fatal hit-and-run accident. … [Read more...]

I found this write-up and video about Kiezlowski's The Decalogue in one of my religion and film Google alerts.  Sometimes it's good just to be reminded of greatness.  The Decalogue makes for great devotional viewing, especially if you commit to ten days of one hour viewing.Why The Decalogue Still Matters After Twenty Years … [Read more...]

I've been surprised (pleasantly) by two summer movies thus far. I've already written about and continually sing praises to Iron Man. On a whim, I recently went to see Kung Fu Panda with a couple of friends. It's not that I had low expectations...I didn't really have any at all. I just knew that it had maintained a sufficiently high rating on the tomameter since its release. Turns out, Kung Fu Panda was funny from start to finish with good animation, great voice acting, and the requisite … [Read more...]

I don't care if Rosario Dawson is your favorite actress or if you think she is the greatest actress in the history of stage and screen. I will hardly ever be this vehement on this website, but DO NOT WATCH Descent. You can, by all means, watch The Descent, but for the sake of all that is good and holy, DO NOT WATCH Descent. I am a huge Rosario Dawson fan, but even my affinity for her could not convince me that it is not one of the worst films ever made...if not THE worst. … [Read more...]

I've been keeping up with Bad Movie Monday viewing, even if I haven't been faithful in writing about it, save for my recent post on Bella. Last week, I took a shot on First Sunday, the latest in post-Friday spin-offs. First Sunday takes the urban comedy, a la Barbershop, and adds a heavy religious flair. Much to my surprise, it actually works, and bears out a rather progressive theological message. … [Read more...]