Looking Closer
I’ve just discovered the blog of a fellow named Professor Paul Kuritz. Because he just just discovered Through a Screen Darkly. Thank you for that review, Professor Kuritz! Read more
I’ve just discovered the blog of a fellow named Professor Paul Kuritz. Because he just just discovered Through a Screen Darkly. Thank you for that review, Professor Kuritz! Read more
Anybody planning to be at the My Brightest Diamond / The Decemberists show in Seattle tomorrow night? I’ll be there. Send me a note so I can watch for you. Read more
I’ve heard The Lord of the Rings described as a defense of Western Civilisation before… and explained as a justification for all kinds of things, including Western shows of military force. But this review of The Children of Hurin takes a different perspective. J R R Tolkien was the most Christian of 20th-century writers, not because he produced Christian allegory and apologetics like his friend C S Lewis, but because he uniquely portrayed the tragic nature of what Christianity replaced.... Read more
Leanne Benfield Martin interviewed me last week, and today she has published the first part of that two-part interview. Thanks, Leanne! Read more
Jindabyne is the first dramatic feature film I’ve seen in 2007 so far that has greatly impressed me. My review will be up at Christianity Today when it opens wider than the current limited release. But for those of you who have a chance to see it, make sure you do: It’s riveting, complex, and deeply rewarding if you have the patience for it. I’ve been reading several reviews that get to the reasons for my enthusiasm. It’s not as... Read more
Fracture Ryan Gosling. Anthony Hopkins. You would think those would be two great reasons to run out and see Fracture. And yet, the current reviews have discouraged me from rushing out to see it. See for yourself… In The National Review, Peter Suderman says it’s “another plodding exercise in legal proceedings and implausibly mangled plotlines. Primal Fear and Fallen were at least diverting, but this time around, Hoblit and his writers didn’t even have the decency to learn why the... Read more
What is going on? I just posted a story about a guy who built an ark, and now I’m reading that Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain) is building one too! Aronofsky and Noah go way back. When the writer-director was 13, he won a United Nations competition at his school in Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn; it was for his first poem, a little effort about the end of the world as seen through Noah’s eyes. “That story has... Read more
I’ve heard a few grumblings and some speculation about a song called “Failed Christian” on the new Over the Rhine collection Live from Nowhere, Vol. 2. Seems to me that whenever an artist sings about struggle or doubt, many Christian listeners get nervous that this means the singer has “lost his/her salvation” or something like that. Frankly, I admire songwriters who are willing to share their moments of stumble, of trouble, of question, of failure as well as their moments... Read more
I had a marvelous time discussing the power of cinema with those who attended the Chesterton Society’s Seattle gathering last night in the Falcon Lounge at Seattle Pacific. Thanks to Kirk Kanzelberger for the invitation and the warm welcome, to Mark Shea for the generous introduction, and to the directors (Peter D. Beaulieu, Ph.D.; James R. Felak, Ph.D.; Tomás A. Gahan, J.D.; Brian R. Glenney; Timothy J. Simunds, Treasurer; and Andrew A. Tadie, Ph.D.) for making these gatherings possible. And for... Read more
My overview of the volatile conversations and debates at the Biola Conference is now published at Christianity Today Movies. As Hollywood continues to catch the “faith wave” by making and marketing more movies to Christians, some of the industry’s major players gathered at a conference in Los Angeles last weekend to discuss the pros and cons of the relatively new trend. While some are excited about the potential of these efforts, some are also frustrated about the “bad art” that... Read more
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