Looking Closer
One can hope. Read more
One can hope. Read more
I had an hour-long conversation with screenwriter and director Scott Derrickson yesterday, whose new film The Exorcism of Emily Rose looks like the most promising … and troubling… horror film of the last few years. Derrickson has passionate opinions about the genre, and about filmmaking in general. I’ll be publishing excerpts from the interview as an online exclusive for Seattle Pacific’s Response magazine soon. Stay tuned… And go see The Exorcism of Emily Rose, if you have the stomach for... Read more
Today’s specials: I’ve just discovered an album that’s definitely going to be on my year-end favorites list. Lizz Wright’s Dreaming Wide Awake is a revelation (at least to me, I didn’t hear her previous release, Salt.) Dreaming Wide Awake gives Wright’s glorious, smoky, passionate vocals fantastic opportunities in covers of songs like Joe Henry’s “Stop” and what may be the definitive version of Neil Young’s “Old Man.” Craig Street’s production is so pristine, T-Bone Burnett would be impressed. Here’s the... Read more
Today’s Specials: Yet another exciting trailer for Serenity! Peter T. Chattaway quotes some Overstreet guy in one of his articles… a piece about Hollywood’s search for that elusive “Christian audience.” As is frequently the case, I’m one of the last people to hear about a very good thing. So, for the record, I have just discovered what may be the finest bookstore accessible online: Eighth Day Books. Visit the site, read their philosophy. You’ll understand why Anne and I invested... Read more
On Sunday, August 21, I’m coming back to my hometown of Portland, Oregon… to talk about my experiences as a Christian and a film critic; to describe the current dialogue in the media and in churches about the value and nature of art; to examine the way Christians respond to movies; to address the important differences between propaganda, entertainment, and art; to talk about the unique way in which art reveals the glory of God; and to answer any questions... Read more
Today’s specials: The New York Times reports on the Kids with Cameras exhibit. If you’ve seen Born Into Brothels, you’ll want to see this… Peter T. Chattaway groans over The Great Raid. (But Phil Boatwright at Crosswalk calls it the best film he’s seen all year. Hmmm.) Todd Hertz swallows The Skeleton Key and chokes. Carolyn Arends honors Saint Ralph. A priest decides to use The Matrix to make faith appealing… about five years behind the trend. Arcade Fire will... Read more
J. Robert Parks weighs in again, this time on three beastly films: It’s a summer for penguins at the movie theater. The documentary March of the Penguins has become one of the biggest arthouse hits in recent years, so much so that its studio is rolling it out into almost 2000 theaters this weekend, hoping to push it into blockbuster territory. Furthermore, almost every other day someone stops me on the street and asks me if I’ve seen the film... Read more
Seems like J. Robert Parks is seeing all of the great films this year, while I sit and wait for them to show in Seattle… Here he goes again, raving about another must-see: The Edukators. The month of August is not usually a banner month for cinema. Hollywood will release some of its worst films in the next few weeks, assuming that most people are either on vacation or getting ready for school and, therefore, aren’t going to the movies... Read more
The most engaging new band I’ve heard this year is The Ragbirds, led by erin Zindle. It’s not a typo. Small “e”, big “Z.” It’s an unconventional name for an unconventional sound. Zindle and her cohorts stir up a style-shifting row on their debut, Yes Nearby, with such enthusiasm, confidence, sincerity, and skill that it’s not hard to imagine them growing up to be one of those beloved bands of spirit and substance like Over the Rhine and The Innocence... Read more
Anne and I have come crashing through the front door of our home, leaving behind us a memorable weekend in Colorado Springs, where we met Don Pape, the literary agent that’s changing our lives. Don gave us a tour of Alive Communications, his place of work. It’s an agency that has represented such admirable writers as Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz), Brennan Manning, Eugene Peterson, and Philip Yancey. We met a whole corridor full of warm and welcoming people. Then... Read more
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