So, as I noted below, through many machinations and an abundance of natural grace, I did get a hold of all but two episodes of Season 3. (The two episodes I haven’t seen are nos. 6 and 7, but I have read the episode recaps enough to catch up on the substance of the stories.) And several folks have asked me what I thought of it. Well, brace yourself. You asked… Several people had warned me that Season 3 wasn’t... Read more

I am already on the record as being a big fan of Battlestar Galactica. (And in keeping with the 32nd Law of the Cosmos, “[Because I gave God ten years of my youth in a convent,] I get everything I want” I did manage to obtain Season 3. So the following probably has spoilers of all three seasons.) I think it is a very successful show on the most important levels that go into a good television series. And even... Read more

Thanks to the great and stalwart Clayton Weight of Glory Emmer, we will now have our RCIA classes back up available to podcast. (I know I said that wrong but I’m desperately medieval in computer stuff.) We started the second half our our yearlong program last Saturday with a wonderful presentation from Rosalind Moss of Catholic Answers down in San Diego. Rosalind told the story of how she made her way from being a part of conservative Judaism in Brooklyn,... Read more

Yeah, I don’t want to waste too much time on this project. Written by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Mike Nichols, the talent squandered here includes Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman and the great new young actress from Enchanted, Amy Adams. Compared to Sorkin’s brilliant The American President, this is a piece of sloppy crap. It doesn’t have Sorkin’s wit. It doesn’t have good characters, it doesn’t have a particular theme or internal struggle for the leads. There was... Read more

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is a French movie based on the book written by a man who was totally paralysed by a cerebral hemorrage. He only has control of one eyelid, and through the astonishing love and effort of his care-givers, he is able to write a book by blinking his eye to indicate letters on a chart to spell out words. I get what the filmmakers were trying to do in this project. By limiting the movement... Read more

How did I miss this?! None of my friends and regular readers will believe this, but as of about two weeks ago, I am a total nerdy fan of the new Battlestar Galactica from the Sci-Fi Channel. (If anybody out there has Season 3 on any kind of format, I want to be your new best friend!) Why didn’t anybody tell me about this show? It’s the smartest dramatic writing I’ve seen on television in years – maybe ever. And... Read more

I can’t believe how humane the movies are lately. Completely rejecting the selfishness and narcissism of the last forty years, several of this year’s best films call for quiet, heroic virtue, that is all about doing your duty and putting other people first. And cynicism seems to have become an anti-trend, in stories in which simple faith and the unconditional love of friends and family are all indisputable goods. Considering Waitress, Juno, August Rush, Dan in Real Life and Lars... Read more

Dear Ms. Nicolosi, I have some very important news to share with you about Dappled Things, and I hope that you will be able to share them with your readers. Since its inception, Dappled Things (www.dappledthings.org) has sought to provide a venue for emerging writers and artists to engage the culture from a Catholic perspective. In order to safeguard this mission, we have followed the policy of only receiving submissions from contributors between the ages of 18 and 35. However,... Read more

I’m going to recommend Atonement because it is visually stunning and also very respectful of the audience’s intelligence. And the story which is the fragile skeleton of all the stunning images is fundamentally true and moral. But I am going to say Atonement is one of those movies in which the real star is the production design, and the story beats, cinematography and performances all serving the visual arena of the piece. Based on the book by the same name... Read more

When was the last time you left a movie theater sad that your time with a main character was over? And you walk into the street wanting to find that person somewhere out there? My theory is this experience tends to make people generally kind. This year’s indie with all the buzz is Juno and it deserves every accolade. I felt fairly secure in the conviction that Once had the best female character of the year, but Juno has left... Read more