The election. I know, I’m sick of it, too. But take heart: November 8 is less than a month away. One month from now, the political ads will stop, a candidate will have been chosen, and we’ll begin the difficult work of moving on. I doubt there are many undecided voters left. Whether you’re casting a ballot for Donald Trump (shudder), Hillary Clinton (a slightly less violent shudder), a third party, or abstaining all together (which is your right), you’ve probably... Read more
I hope my usual readers who come to this site looking for thoughts on film, television and other entertainment will indulge one last political post. Believe me, I can’t wait to get back to writing about pop culture and movies, and I hope to do that shortly. But this is a crucial time for our country and for the Church. And as a Christian with a platform, I feel it is necessary to put into words what God has... Read more
**Yes, I know this is an entertainment blog. But there are matters that transcend entertainment and as a writer who also focuses on faith, I feel I have a responsibility to address that. ** I thought this weekend’s release of Donald Trump’s repugnant sexual comments would be the straw that broke the camel’s back when it came to Christians’ support of the Republican presidential candidate. After more than a year of supporting or only lightly chiding his crude remarks about Mexicans,... Read more
If you’re a constant reader, you’ve probably noticed my productivity has dropped a notch (or several) recently. This post was originally supposed to go live at the end of September, and here we are well into October. Well, there’s a reason for that: it’s back-to-school time. I started grad school the day after Labor Day, pursuing a master’s in communications with an emphasis in media studies, and it’s a lot of work. On top of that, the kids are getting... Read more
Life’s like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending… It was 2009. I was just turning 30 and, as I watched those final moments to “The Muppet Movie,” tears were streaming down my face. It had been years since I’d seen the Muppets’ first cinematic foray; decades, even. I don’t even know what made me decide to revisit it on the cusp of turning 30. I think that, at the behest of some coworkers, I’d recently rented... Read more
Well, it’s happening. After months of rumor and speculation, we’re getting a black and white version of “Mad Max: Fury Road.” It will be coming out in December in a DVD set that also can include the entire series on Blu-Ray for $80 (four films for that price is pretty good). Director George Miller had been hinting that this version existed for awhile, so it was really just a question of “when,” not “if.” I’m a huge fan of “Fury Road.”... Read more
When my dad bought our first computer with a modem and America Online shortly after Christmas in 1998, my life changed forever. I was in my second year of college, and I’d only used the internet a few times. I acclimated quickly. While my family was at a gathering on New Year’s Day, I spent eight hours online, meeting new friends in chat rooms and on Instant Messenger, devouring movie news, and marveling at my ability to communicate with people... Read more
I can’t believe we’re September already (sorry, this is coming a day late). It’s been a fast summer, and it feels like it was just yesterday that I was gearing up for Memorial Day weekend. Now we’re prepping for Labor Day, the start of school and cooler weather. It’s been a busy month, both on the blog and in my personal life. But there’s still a lot I read and watched that I wasn’t able to write about, so here... Read more
“Don’t Breathe” is a late summer surprise, a superbly crafted genre piece thick with suspense and light on mercy. It’s best seen in a packed theater, with a crowd that screams and laughs as director Fede Alvarez doesn’t so much play them like a piano as beat them like a drum. Set in Detroit, the film is about three friends trying to fund their escape from the city through burglary. One is the son of an alarm company worker and they steal... Read more
I love lists. I know that’s not the critically correct thing to say — most critics go to great pains to say how much they hate compiling lists and how ranking art is futile, even as they regularly churn out their own best-of lists each year. And, of course, they’re right. Ranking art as “best” is silly. In any given year, there are great comedies, moving dramas, superb genre pieces and whimsical animated experiments. How do you determine which of those... Read more
Chrisicisms
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