As a follow-up to my two-part post (1, 2) on revisiting Chariots of Fire, I want to share this lengthy discussion between my friends Ken Morefield and Todd Truffin from their podcast called The Thin Place. I like this episode’s clever title. (more…) Read more
As the appropriately named Mark Webb’s reboot of the webslinger franchise opens to record-breaking box office and ho-hum reviews, I thought I’d look back at my initial reactions to Sam Raimi’s series. The more I think about Raimi’s first Spider-man movie, which I found admirable but a little disappointing, the more I’m surprised by how it looks like a classic in retrospect. Superhero films have become so numerous since then, becoming an almost weekly event, this movie stands out for... Read more
According to this report, an insurgence of strange, unfamiliar spiders is thrashing and humiliating the population of black widows in Southern California. (more…) Read more
I may have turned in my review of my favorite 2012 release so far — Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom — almost a week ago, but Michael Leary, an excellent film reviewer and a friend of mind for more than a decade now, got his published online first. So row your boat on over to Filmwell, the blog that Leary and I launched in March 2009, and read his thoughtful observations on what he calls “a high point in Anderson’s cinema.” (My own review will... Read more
Finally, I have a link for all of those people who come to this blog looking for Sufjan Stevens paper dolls. (more…) Read more
I don’t know any film critic who cares more about the history and character of Peter Parker/Spider-man than the comic-loving Steven D. Greydanus who reviews films for the National Catholic Register. Greydanus also happens to be my favorite film critic. I love the way he writes and thinks. So, since I missed the press screening for The Amazing Spider-man, the seemingly unnecessary reboot of an already engaging franchise, I’ve been eager to read his review. And here it is. The... Read more
Well, hello to everyone here in the big Patheos.com tent! It’s a privilege to be here, and thanks to the Patheos team — especially Timothy Dalrymple and Rebecca Cusey — for inviting me. This blog turned eight years old recently, and to celebrate, I’ve brought it to a new home. I’m very excited to meet new friends and start up some conversations about film, art, culture, and faith. For those who aren’t familiar with Looking Closer, I’d like to say a few... Read more
[This review was originally published at Good Letters, the Patheos blog hosted by Image.] All of the dollars and expertise that produced The Avengers, Men in Black 3, and the rest of this summer’s block-busting movie events could never produce a spectacle as wondrous as eleven-year-old Aran Bell dancing his heart out. Aran is reason enough for you to buy a ticket for First Position. That’s director Bess Kargman’s new documentary about young ballet dancers training to compete in New... Read more
[This review was originally published at Good Letters, the Patheos blog hosted by Image.] Maybe it was instinct that sent me back to relive the 1924 Olympic Games. In Part One of this reflection, you found me despairing, feeling a sudden collapse of my lifelong will to write. Slumped on the couch, I was watching, of all things, Chariots of Fire. As a child, I loved this movie. But it wasn’t until college that I saw how it stands in... Read more
[This review was originally published at Good Letters, the Patheos blog hosted by Image.] So, why Chariots of Fire? Why is that what I chose for tonight’s movie? Netflix is recommending all kinds of recent, highly rated titles. Why revisit this old DVD? It happened like this: Two hours earlier, I’d taken the car, planning to drive north to a waterfront park to work on my novel. I planned to walk along the beach and watch the sun’s long surrender... Read more
Looking Closer
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