E-HOLY HOUR.COM Other Act One alumns are part of the group that has been having weekly holy hours here in Hollywood for the entertainment industry. For any of you who have Christians out here struggling alone as actors, writers, directors, musicians, etc., the holy hour is lovely…and pretty much everyone there is smart, talented, good, under thirty and just waiting to be married. I’m just sayin’… Here’s the announcement: Just a reminder to all that the HOLLYWOOD HOLY HOUR is... Read more

168 HOUR FILM FESTIVAL Here’s news about yet another cool project being driven by an Act One alumn… The 168 Hour Film Project is a competition where films are created during production week to premiere at the Film Festival. Based on a bible verse, each film gives opportunities for cast and crew. Signup at www.168project.com. Free Signup Seminar: All You need to know to enter. TUES. MARCH 22ND 7:30-9:30PM, 26 E Providencia Ave. Burbank. Featuring Producers of MAX, Best Short... Read more

ANNE OF MEAN LABELS I went to hear the very good writer Anne Lamott read from her new book tonight. Packed into the Beverly Hills Duttons with a few hundred other folks, I spent the night milling between the shelves, listening to Anne’s wonderful turns of phrase, and marveling at the relationship between having a really screwed up life and being a great writer. (I used to think sin was necessary to making a great writer. But, then, a good... Read more

100 GREATEST LITERARY WORKS OF THE 20TH CENTURY This list was published by Image Journal, which is a publication that looks atthe intersection of religious faith and creativity. But I wonder how much that perspective skews this list? I’d like to see a similar list from some pagans at Berkeley or Wesleyan. How many of our literary saints would make it on their list? Some of the titles here are just, well, silly, and reflect the huge contingent of baby-boomer... Read more

EMILY MONDAY 258 There’s a certain Slant of light,Winter Afternoons —That oppresses, like the Heft of Cathedral Tunes — Heavenly Hurt, it gives us —We can find no scar,But [it causes an] internal difference,Where the Meanings [in us], are — None may teach it — Any —‘Tis the Seal Despair —An imperial afflictionSent us of the Air — When it comes, the Landscape listens —Shadows — hold their breath —When it goes, ’tis like the DistanceOn the look of Death... Read more

T.K.O. (Ahem) As I have said several times, my biggest shock over Million Dollar baby was not that it was made, and was not that it was such an unfair caricature of Christians, and not that it was such a criminally incomplete treatment of the next BIG MORAL issue that will ravage our society. My biggest shock over this film was why so many critics lined up to lavish praise on it. Including the Christians. (Honestly, the only thing praise-worthy... Read more

EMBED WITH ART I had a fascinating conversation yesterday with a producer here in L.A. who is on the vanguard of the wave of new technologies that are shortly going to reshape the whole way Hollywood distributes and pays for its product. But before I tell you about it, I have to go pour some Purina Seafood Delights into my cat, Brie’s, bowl. Every other dry catfood Brie has eaten usually sat there for her to graze off after she... Read more

DAMAH WEEKEND Here’s a heads-up about a cool thing going on in L.A. this weekend. The Damah Film Festival is making its Los Angeles debut, having been an annual event up in Seattle for the last several years. Damah highlights short films that examine spiritual experience, giving awards for the best projects in categories determined by project length. One of the smart decisions made by the team behind Damah, was to enlist top Hollywood filmmakers and critics as judges and... Read more

EMILY MONDAY 297 It’s like the Light —A fashionless Delight —It’s like the Bee —A dateless — Melody — It’s like the Woods —Private — Like the Breeze —Phraseless — yet it stirsThe proudest Trees — It’s like the Morning —Best — when it’s done —And the Everlasting Clocks —Chime — Noon! Okay, so what is “It”? Read more

RAISING UP DOWNFALL Wow. I saw the Academy Award nominated German release Downfall last night. This film lost the “Best Foreign Film” Oscar to Spain’s euthanasia propaganda movie The Sea Inside, which, having now seen Downfall strikes me as a double crime. Relating the incidents surrounding Hitler’s death and the fall of Berlin, Downfall has got to be one of the best war movies ever made. Truly, a fascinating movie, that will haunt me for many years. The film doesn’t... Read more