I am still relaxing here in lovely snowy CT. So I passed on a recent email query from a young Hollywood wannabe to one of our Act One alumns, Sean, who now works at Warner Bros. Sean went to the same University as the young querier, so I thought loyalty to the alma-mater united to Christian pastoral love would motivate him to do well. He did very well, so I thought I’d start the New Year by posting his responses.... Read more

Here’s a mixed review of Behind the Screen from the Acton Institute (Now, there’s a name trying real hard to be “Act One”…). The review is basically a thumbs up and for that I am grateful. Still, after noting that the book has “passages of real insight,” the reviewers still had to get the following sadly defensive bit in… If this collection of essays has one flaw, it is that it does little to recognize that there are those outside... Read more

Wintery, partially white Christmas greetings from CT where all I have been doing for a week is watching television, eating and reading Taylor Caldwell novels. Almost perfect joy – there is truly nothing like Christmas! God bless you all with every good thing – the best thing of all being a renewed intimacy with the little Child of Bethlehem. Read more

Go down to December 17th entry on this blog to read the review of Peter Jackson’s Kong that I would have written if I had the strength of will to force myself to revisit the movie. The blog is by Brandon Fibbs in Colorado. Here’s a paragraph with which I particularly resonated: The usual and oft-deserved complaint you hear from many film purists is that the advent of CGI has allowed filmmakers to run afoul of good, old-fashioned storytelling. They... Read more

I decided my previous review was too snarky. As I noted, however, I have already wasted too many hours on this movie. King Kong is truly awful. Paper thin characterizations, ridiculous dialogue, unmotivated and unbelievable scenarios, and Jackson’s trademark, over-the-top extravagant excess at the expense of story. The opening hour which might have been used to make us care about the characters, actually distances us from them. Meandering and episodic, ridiculous and unengaging. The opening montages of monkeys and vaudville... Read more

Here’s an email someone just sent me which I post shamelessly hoping it will get some of you to order our book for someone on your Christmas list… I just obtained my own copy of Behind The Screen and read the whole thing right through. Excellent!!! Brilliant!!! All Christians should read it. Not just people like me who are 49 years old and over the hill but still dream of moving to LA someday and writing a screenplay. Great book.... Read more

Everybody go. No, not next weekend. Now. Today, or tomorrow. Or Sunday. But THIS OPENING WEEKEND. Everything depends on how a movie opens. The future distribution pattern, future advertising, the DVD release plan, the television rights. EVERYTHING. Go. Bring your families. Honestly, there is a weird thing going on in the secular media to HYPE the upcoming King Kong movie. I actually read an article last week to the effect that, Kong could be the BIGGEST, MOST HUGE, FANTASTICKEST BOX-OFFICE... Read more

Here is a really good and fair piece in, that bastion of conservative Christian principles – The Village Voice! I had a very fun time talking to the journalist, Anthony Kaufmann – and I’m so glad the article reflected that. Here are the snips with me in them… Earlier this year, evangelicals expressed concern on websites that Hollywood producers would soft-pedal the story’s Christian principles. But those fears have now been allayed by former nun Barbara Nicolosi, head of Act... Read more

…of our new book, Behind the Screen, is here. Written by R. J. Carter, it includes lots of citations from the book. A really nice treatment. Here’s a snip… Behind the Screen is one of those books that can’t really be fully covered in a review — and God knows, I’ve tried. There’s too much meat in here — no, too many full course meals entirely. It’s a two-month Bible study, a textbook, and a soul-baring of those at Act... Read more

[Here is a press release for an event at which I will be speaking this coming Saturday, Dec. 3.] PRESS RELEASE: The final days for registering for the California Catholic Women’s Forum Conference, December 3, 8:30 – 1:30 pm at the San Jose Museum of Art are here! Get your registration in ASAP! The topic is Truth and Beauty: Tools of the “Feminine Genius”.This is TRUE FEMINISM FOR REAL WOMEN. This conference is for all women, not just Catholic ones!... Read more