Here’s another batch to get you through the weekend. 1. Christianity Today reports that CleanFlicks, the firm that edits Hollywood movies to make them safe for families, has filed a $1 million lawsuit against Daniel Thompson, who was widely reported to be a co-owner of the company when he was caught in a sex scandal a few days ago. The company claims that Thompson has “harm[ed] the firm by illegally claiming a business relationship with the firm and infringing its... Read more

We have already seen the photo of Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood and Shia LaBeouf as Whoever, posing among some crates in a warehouse that looks extremely reminiscent of the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Today, MTV Movies Blog posted the latest picture released from the set of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull — and this time, Indy himself seems to be climbing and crawling all over the crates. Is... Read more

If you’re like me, and you like to catch classic films — especially classic sci-fi and fantasy films — on the big screen, then you might want to check out this series on innovative special-effects movies that is playing at the VanCity Theatre over the next few days: Thu Jan 31, 7:00pm — King Kong (1933) Thu Jan 31, 9:30pm — Jason and the Argonauts (1963) Fri Feb 1, 7:00pm — Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982) Fri Feb 1,... Read more

Beliefnet has announced the nominees for its own annual movie awards, and this year, I’m one of the judges. There are three categories — Best Spiritual Film, Best Spiritual Performance and Best Spiritual Documentary — and there are five nominees in each category, and each of the nominees is accompanied by an argument “for” and “against” the film in question. It fell to me to write the argument “against” Sarah Polley’s Away from Her. Read more

Behold the trailer for Son of Rambow, the long-delayed Sundance favorite about a Plymouth Brethren boy who discovers the Rambo movies on VHS and decides to make his own with a camcorder. The film opens in the U.K. in March, and in the U.S. in May. http://cdn.channel.aol.com/aolexd_widgets/aolwidget_9.swfClick here if the video file above doesn’t play properly. Read more

The newest issue of BC Christian News is now online, and with it, my film column, which includes brief, brief notes on There Will Be Blood, The Bucket List, The Golden Compass, The Hobbit and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Read more

Gadzooks. It seems the Russian film industry has its own equivalent of Meet the Spartans and Epic Movie. Variety reports: MOSCOW — A Russian comedy that spoofs the country’s recent string of hit domestic movies broke all box office records to take $19.5 million in its first week on release, distrib Caroprokat said Wednesday. “Very Best Film” (Sammi Luchi Film), which was produced by entertainment TV channel TNT, was released across Russia and surrounding former Soviet territories Jan. 24 on... Read more

Time to round up another batch of blurbs and things. 1. Well, now we know why the actor playing James T. Kirk’s father in Star Trek XI is only 24 years old. TrekMovie.com reports that Spencer Daniels, who is 15, and Jimmy Bennett, who turns 12 in less than two weeks, will be playing George Samuel Kirk Jr. and his brother James T. Kirk, respectively. Looks like someone other than Chris Pine can lay claim to playing “the young Kirk”... Read more

On Sunday, Juno became the first and probably only one of 2007’s Best Picture nominees to gross over $100 million — and that tells me I should probably follow up the posts I wrote in 2005 and 2006 on the relationship between the Oscars and the box office. 2005 marked the first time since 1996 that the Best Picture winner did not gross at least $100 million, the first time since 1985 that not one of the Best Picture nominees... Read more

CT Movies has posted its list of “The 10 Most Redeeming Films of 2007.” As one of their critics, I took part in the voting and submitted a paragraph on one pick of mine that did not make the final list. (And for what it’s worth, there are two films on this list that I have not yet seen — one, because it hasn’t even come to Canada yet, and the other, because it is fairly new and, between living... Read more