Looking Closer
Roger Ebert: The Spirit is mannered to the point of madness. There is not a trace of human emotion in it. To call the characters cardboard is to insult a useful packing material. Read more
Roger Ebert: The Spirit is mannered to the point of madness. There is not a trace of human emotion in it. To call the characters cardboard is to insult a useful packing material. Read more
Highly, highly recommended. Read more
We’re snowed in for Christmas. We’ve canceled our trip to Portland to spend the holiday with my family. We’re doubtful that we can get to a local Christmas eve gathering. Our church has canceled all Christmas services. And it’s a good thing I got home from Cincinnati, because an icy arctic blast has provoked my friends there to cancel their own Christmas parties. Be safe, everybody. We have everything we need in our own homes and hearts. No need to... Read more
You’re welcome to browse my often-blurry snapshots from my weekend in Cincinnati and my three Over the Rhine concerts… here at Flickr. By the way, here are the Set Lists for the concerts: FIRST CONCERT SET ONE Eyes Wide Open How Does It Feel? How Does It Feel? (Reprise) Within Without (with Kim Taylor) Like a Radio Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander June (with Kim Taylor, Jake Bradley, Kenny Hutson, and Julie Lee) Circle of Quiet (with Kim Taylor and... Read more
indieWIRE’s annual poll of 100 American film critics has resulted in a very exciting list, one that’s jam-packed with films I admired this year. I’m not among the many fans of Slumdog Millionaire, so I’m pleased to see that so many other critics found other films more impressive than that flashy, stylish, but relatively shallow and manipulative pop-song of a movie. (I’ll get around to posting what bothers me so much about Slumdog soon…) Hou Hsiao-hsien’s “The Flight of the... Read more
Merry Christmas, everybody! I’ve just returned from Cincinnati, where I joined about 2,500 friends to celebrate Over the Rhine’s 20th anniversary. We enjoyed three days of concerts, the reunion of Over the Rhine’s original lineup, and music spanning their whole career. I’ll soon be writing about the band, the history, the poetry, the fans, and a kind of band/audience relationship you just won’t find anywhere else. But for now, I’m just smiling in the glow of some unforgettable experiences, and... Read more
I’m arriving in Cincinnati tomorrow afternoon. It’ll be my first visit there, and I couldn’t be more excited about attending ALL THREE 20th anniversary concerts for Over the Rhine this weekend. If you’re going to be there, let me know. Maybe we can meet and chat. I’ll be writing an essay about Over the Rhine soon, and this experience will be a vital part of that project. (more…) Read more
The Washington Post: Irish rockers U2 have named their new album “No Line On The Horizon,” and will release it worldwide in early March, their label said on Thursday. (more…) Read more
I’m a big fan of movie posters. I surround myself with them at the office, and I have dozens at home as well. My favorites are the original Raiders of the Lost Ark poster, which hangs above the (more…) Read more
My review of The Tale of Despereaux is coming to Christianity Today Movies next Friday. For now, I’ll just say this: Read the book before you see the movie. Please. Pretty please. You’ll thank me for it. (more…) Read more
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