One of my dearest, closest friends, Todd Fadel, who I’ve known since we were… oh… two?… is in a band called The Beauty. (The other fellow in the band is Matt Zimmerman.) They’re from Portland. I’ve been in an improv comedy band with Todd for about 15 years now… The Garbage Chute Flyboys… a little part of my life I never really discuss here. Anyway, The Beauty is not a comedy band. They rock. Specifically, they rock Portland, Oregon. They... Read more
You didn’t think I’d go another day without posting something about Apocalypto… a movie I still haven’t seen… did you? (more…) Read more
UPDATED!! NOW, with even more provocative responses from readers… Here’s one of the letters contributed by readers after CT’s coverage of The Nativity Story, and there are more where this came from: I am shocked that the Vatican approved The Nativity Story. The clergy that run the Catholic church today have gone insane. The scene where Mary goes into labor pains and Joseph delivering baby Jesus is contrary to the special dignity and power God has bestowed upon her. We... Read more
Apocalypto is dividing up my friends, colleagues, and my favorite critics more than any movie I can remember since… well… The Passion of the Christ. (more…) Read more
Is this two-minute video the greatest feet of Michel “Eternal Sunshine” Gondry’s career? You decide!! (And no, that wasn’t a typo in my headline.) The great Bob Newhart lives on I depend on Mark Shea’s blog for insight on many things. But I also depend on him to alert me to profound moments in contemporary philosophy… like this rare glimpse of the great Bob Newhart: Shea says: Most People Don’t Think of Bob Newhart as a Catholic Theologian But you... Read more
The Boston Film Critics pick The Departed. (Runner-up: United 93) My favorite Boston picks: Best Actress – Helen Mirren, The Queen (Runner-up: Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal) Best Supporting Actor – Mark Wahlberg, The Departed Best Supporting Actress – Shareeka Epps, Half Nelson Best Foreign Language Film- Pan’s Labyrinth Washington DC Area Film Critics pick United 93. My favorite DC picks: Best Film – United 93 Best Actress – Helen Mirren, The Queen Best Foreign Film Pan’s Labrynth The... Read more
Here’s the annual list of recommendations from the editor of Books and Culture, John Wilson. (more…) Read more
Watch out. Here comes Notes on a Scandal. And what Hannibal Lecter was for Anthony Hopkins, Barbara Covett is for Dame Judi Dench. Yikes, what a nasty bit of business this movie is. Count Barbara Covett up there with Tom Ripley on the chart of Malevolent Devils. She’s not nearly as clever as Ripley, but her heart is oh so cold. It’ll be some time before I can write up a review on this, but let me give you a... Read more
This interview was originally published at Christianity Today on November 8, 2006. – Alejandro González Iñárritu has a lot of stories to tell. He packs several of them into each film that he makes. In three critically acclaimed features — Amores Perros, 21 Grams, and the latest, Babel — he and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga have told at least nine, depending on how you unravel his complex tapestries of narrative. All three films bear the distinct style and perspective of storytellers... Read more
So… what did Mel Gibson do with all of that money he made off of The Passion of the Christ? He made Apocalypto. And here’s what Christian film critics are saying… Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films): Gibson is a consummate filmmaker, and the action is never less than riveting. Yet as the film repeatedly ratchets up the wince factor beyond what seems necessary or appropriate, it’s hard not to feel that suffering has been reduced to spectacle. The Passion offered... Read more
Looking Closer
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In