This month’s theoblogger question at Patheos, in honor of Halloween is, “Are Demons Real?” There are some good contributions from ministers, professors, students, and bloggers alike. I responded from a pop-culture point of view. Just as interesting are the conversations/reactions that readers posted in response. Follow the link after the jump and get in on the conversation! (more…) Read more
I hated that I missed seeing How to Train Your Dragon on the big screen. Having watched it on DVD this week, I think it’s one of the best animated films I’ve seen in a long time, and, while I know that this might sound blasphemous, I think I like it better than Toy Story 3. Even though the film’s message isn’t anything new, it’s certainly one that younger viewers need to hear over and over again. (more…) Read more
While video game criticism has yet to reach the cultural status of its film counterparts, academic writing about and research into video games, their popularity, and cultural influence is certainly getting closer, particularly with the likes of Jon Cogburn and Mark Silcox’s Philosophy Through Video Games. Check out my review after the jump. (more…) Read more
Pop Theology contributor Richard Lindsay offers his review of the new independent film, Howl, a drama centered on the obscenity trial Allen Ginsberg faced after the publication of his poem, “Howl.” Check it out…if you’re bold enough…after the jump. (more…) Read more
Fans of the Swedish film, Let the Right One In (2008), a fresh take on the vampire genre, expressed frustration, to put it mildly, over plans for an American re-make of the film. These were not unfounded concerns given that American re-makes often fail to capture the nuance of the source material…or are simply just not as good. Even more frustrating is that Let the Right One In is nearly a perfect film. Thankfully, while not quite as good as... Read more
Make no mistake about it, The Social Network is a great film. It has a wonderful script, compelling characters, and an intriguing story. The performance by Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg is worth revisiting a few times over. However, there is something missing that prevents it from entering that pantheon of classic films like The Godfather and Citizen Kane to which many critics have compared it. (more…) Read more
Anyone bored or turned off by the recent “sissification” of the vampire, particularly in the form of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series, would do well to read Justin Cronin’s The Passage. In this epic novel, we have a blend of two of my favorite genres, post-apocalyptic and vampire literature. While drawing from the best of each genre, he also makes interesting contributions to them in the process, weaving the two together into one engrossing text. (more…) Read more
Pop Theology contributor Richard Lindsay offers a review of Eminem’s new album, Recovery. It’s the first review of a rap album here at Pop Theology. Let’s see how it goes after the jump. (more…) Read more
Though at only 176 pages it might seem like a short novel, Daniel Kehlmann’s Fame is one of the more prophetic books that I have read in quite some time. And by prophetic, one could equally refer to the dual actions a of “describing the present” and “predicting the future.” Kehlmann deftly exposes our relationship with technology, its effects on our relationships with one another, and our desires for more out of life, be that a second life/chance or to... Read more
There are a few things to admire about What If…, the latest in church-backed feature-length films, but unfortunately, plot isn’t one of them. Most certainly inspired by It’s a Wonderful Life, the film takes the alternative universe premise and plays with it in some really odd and confounding ways. (more…) Read more
Pop Theology
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In