Here’s a new feature I’m hoping to implement more regularly on this blog. Constant readers know that I can be critical about Christian art, and that’s because I think there’s a lot of bad art out there that goes under the Christian name. But I really want to delve more into the artists and crafts people who are passionate about creating great Christian art and improving the conversation about faith. I met Ted Woods, an independent comic book writer, when... Read more
This isn’t the first time I’ve addressed this, and I hate that. This post, in fact, is adapted from a now-defunct blog I used to have; I just had to tweak it for the tragedy du jour. I hate that 50 people are dead because one man was filled with hate and had access to a firearm. I hate that this is not the first time I’ve had to deal with this news. Charleston. San Bernardino. Columbine. Aurora. Sandy Hook. All... Read more
Earlier this evening, in response to the horrific shooting at a gay nightclub Orlando that left 50 people dead and just as many hospitalized — the deadliest shooting in U.S. history — blogger Micah J. Murray posted the following on his Facebook page: What makes mass shootings so intimately offensive is that they tend to happen at “safe” places where such tragedy should be off limits. A school. A movie theater. A day care center. A mall. These are where we go... Read more
James Wan’s “Conjuring” movies are something rare in the horror genre: warm-hearted stories that scare the hell out of you. The first film, released in 2013, notably received an R rating for being “too scary” — movie marketing that was actually justified. The film was one of the most terrifying, knuckle-clenching haunted house movies in decades, elevated by Wan’s affection for his characters. Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) were real-life paranormal experts carrying out investigations on behalf... Read more
A recent article by Leah Libresco at FiveThirtyEight revealed that the number of positive words and concepts in Christian pop music far outweigh the number of negative ones. Reviewing the list of the top 50 Christian pop songs on Billboard’s charts over the last five years, Libresco found that there were more than twice as many mentions of grace as sin. The disparity grew with other pairings, including “more than eight mentions of ‘life’ for every instance of ‘death,’ and ‘love’ was... Read more
At the end of the day, the only thing that matters about some comedies is whether they made you laugh. I can say upfront that “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” did, often very hard. The movie throws every gag it can think of at the wall, and a surprising number stick. Lonely Island’s digital shorts were the funniest and most subversive thing about “Saturday Night Live” for several years, and “Popstar” generates laughs that are just as big, even if it lacks their... Read more
At one point in the new documentary “Weiner,” when disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner is asked a question by the crew filming his failed mayoral bid, he snaps that the point of a fly-on-the-wall documentary is that the fly doesn’t talk. That moment sums up the success and limitations of “Weiner.” The filmmakers have unprecedented access to one of the decade’s most surreal scandals, yet the subject’s constant attempts to control his image keep him at a remove, even with... Read more
Something in my DNA responds to Shane Black’s work. Ever since I watched “Lethal Weapon” with my dad as a teenager, I’ve been drawn to the writer-director’s mixture of pulp fiction, bleak humor and brotherly bonds. Few screenwriters — especially genre screenwriters — have such an unmistakable voice. Steeped in a knowledge of detective novels and film noir, his world is dark and violent, often masking the ugliness behind a Christmas setting. Governments and institutions engage in elaborate conspiracies, which are unraveled by... Read more
You might have noticed it’s been quiet here. The truth is, while this blog’s been a bit more inactive that I’d like, life itself has actually been quite hectic. May 2016 has been crazy for our family. We’ve had good things taking up our time, such as out-of-town guests and family events. We’ve had broken garage doors and disabled lawnmowers to deal with. We’ve had a sick baby, a sick wife and a sick me at our home. And that’s... Read more
Two months before the release of “Ghostbusters,” I have to wonder if Paul Feig’s answer to “Who you gonna call” is “A better PR team.” Feig’s remake of Ivan Reitman’s beloved 1984 comedy is making entertainment headlines, but probably not for the reasons he’s hoped. Its trailer has earned the distinction of the most disliked trailer on Youtube. Today, a reviewer at the website Cinemassacre announced that he flat out refuses to review the film. While I’m sure the world... Read more
Chrisicisms
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In